[V1C4] Giant Peas vs. White Hurricane No. 1

Under the pleasant autumn sky, an atmosphere colder than the north wind permeated the entire area.

Before Cyril was a pea plant that had grown to colossal proportions, towering like a giant tree.

The long vines of the peas swayed like whips, aiming for Cyril. However, he rained arrows of ice down, tearing the vines apart before they could entangle him.

(Ugh, there’s no end to this…!)

Cyril continued his rapid incantation, bracing himself for the next wave of attacks.

Due to his mana hyperabsorption, Cyril could quickly recover mana once his brooch was removed. However, he couldn’t cast magic endlessly. Continuous use of magic strained his body, chipping away at his concentration.

(Still, I can’t afford to take a break…!)

At times like this, Cyril strongly wished he could use magic without an incantation, like Monica.

Since the best he could manage was shortened incantations, Cyril had no choice but to constantly chant in preparation for the next attack. Naturally, his breathing grew very irregular.

While maintaining the ice wall to prevent vines from reaching Raul, Cyril invoked ice arrows to cut through the vines attacking him, drawing all of the pea’s attacks toward himself.

It might sound simple in words, but executing it required a tremendous amount of concentration. Moreover, one slip of the tongue would mean instant defeat. The tension caused Cyril to rush, narrowing his field of vision.

Right as he cut through the vines in front with an ice spear, the vines sneaking up from the ground entwined Cyril’s legs, lifting his slender body.

“Guh… Dammit…”

He was suspended upside down, causing the blood to rush to his head. Simultaneously, the vines swiftly drained his mana. It happened at an astonishing speed, just as when it absorbed the mana of Monica, one of the Seven Sages.

(Still… my mana isn’t depleted yet.)

Cyril had mana hyperabsorption. Therefore, he could counteract the pea’s absorption attack, if only a little.

In that fleeting moment, Cyril created an ice spear and severed the vines shackling his ankles.

With a snap, the vines cut, and Cyril’s body was thrown onto the ground.

“…!?”

In a stroke of misfortune, Cyril landed on the slope adjacent to the field, unable to break his fall. He rolled all the way down the incline.

＊　＊　＊

In the world, there are people who excel in sensing danger and those who do not.

Melissa Roseberg, firmly believing she was the former, turned back as soon as she spotted the giant peas.

This was bad, very bad. Specifically, if her involvement reached the ears of her relatives, Melissa would be expelled from House Roseberg.

“I don’t know anything. I just came here for a walk in the mountains… Yes, that’s right, I’m just an innocent passerby who knows nothing.”

Repeating this to herself, Melissa hastily turned her back and began descending the mountain.

At that moment, the bushes behind her shook vigorously, and a person leaped out. Or more precisely, he tumbled down right next to Melissa.

“Gyah!?”

Melissa let out a short scream and jumped away, staring at the young man who appeared.

He seemed to be about the same age as her younger brother, Raul. A slim young man with long platinum-blond hair tied at the back. Judging by the clothes he wore, he was probably from House Highown.

(Crap, crap, crap, if my involvement is exposed to House Highown…)

The young man staggered to his feet. He had a handsome face, and his blue eyes, framed by long eyelashes, looked like the most exquisite gems!

(No, no! This isn’t the time to be enchanted by his looks.)

Any witnesses from House Highown would be extremely bad.

Panicking, Melissa quickly covered her face with the parasol, as the young man spoke in a considerate tone.

“I apologize for showing you such an unsightly scene. Are you injured, milady?”

Melissa’s heart skipped a beat at the sincere voice directed at her. When was the last time someone called her “milady”?

“Uh, um, I’m fine…”

“That’s good.”

Melissa lifted the edge of the parasol slightly to look up at the young man.

He was staring at Melissa with concern, seeming genuinely worried about her.

“I don’t believe there are any villages around here… Did you get lost?”

“Ohoho… Y-Yes, something like that.”

Melissa concealed her true intentions, mainly the fact that she had come to laugh at her brother’s embarrassment. Covering up everything with a friendly smile, Melissa observed the young man.

(Oh my, he seems so sincere and serious. Quite the opposite of my lax brother…! He’s from House Highown, right?)

Melissa, having distanced herself from high society for the past few years, vaguely remembered that Marquis Highown had only a daughter. Perhaps this young man was a more distant relative?

“Um, excuse me, but may I ask for your name…?”

Right as Melissa asked, the bushes rustled, and the vines of the giant peas extended outwards. The same peas planted in the fertilizer that Melissa tampered with.

Melissa stifled a gasp and let out a high-pitched scream.

“Kyaa!”

“Watch out!”

The young man shielded Melissa behind his back and began a shortened incantation. His spell created ice spears which tore apart the attacking vines.

(Oh how wonderful! He protected me!)

Melissa tightly gripped her parasol, blushing her freckle-adorned cheeks.

Fixing a sharp gaze on the giant pea plants, the young man only glanced briefly at Melissa.

“This place is dangerous. I’ll buy you some time, so please flee the mountain quickly.”

“Um, of course! Thank you, kind sir!”

She wished she could talk to this gentleman a little longer, but bumping into Raul would be awkward.

Melissa turned on her heel, pressing her throbbing heart, and started running.

＊　＊　＊

Watching the red-haired woman run down the mountain, Cyril couldn’t hide his bitter feelings.

(Who would have thought that an ordinary person would wander into these mountains!)

If he reconsidered the situation calmly, he would realize that the woman didn’t look ordinary at all, but Cyril, in his haste, hadn’t considered such possibilities.

Allowing harm to any resident of the Highown Territory was unacceptable. Cyril faced the giant pea vines backed by his sense of duty as the future Marquis.

(If I don’t stop it here, this thing might go down the mountain and harm our people…)

Above all, he was worried about Monica.

When a person’s mana is depleted, they experience anemia-like symptoms and become unable to move.

While some mages remained lively even with depleted mana——chasing after their disciples, hanging them upside down, and smoking them out——such individuals were extremely rare.

(Hurry up, Raul Roseberg!!)

Cyril, staring in the direction Raul had run off to, widened his eyes in surprise.

Something enormous was approaching from behind the giant peas.

A colossal entity made of green vines——it was similar to the giant peas in appearance, yet distinctly different.

While the giant peas seemed like a clumsy mass of twisted vines, “this” was clearly a deliberately crafted creation. If one had to describe it, perhaps it would be called a “vine dragon”.

In terms of form, it resembled a wingless earth dragon walking on two legs. However, it lacked scales on its body, and its thick legs and torso were entirely composed of entwined vines.

The vines had menacingly thick thorns, and white roses bloomed sporadically throughout… The dragon was formed entirely of roses.

“What is that…?”

The bewildered Cyril caught sight of a familiar red-headed figure at the feet of the rose dragon.

“Hey! Over here!” Raul Roseberg the Thorn Witch waved the great cheer.

“How about that? Looks cool, right!”

As if displaying his favorite toy, Raul put on an innocent smile.

Unable to contain himself, Cyril abandoned his incantation and shouted.

“What in the world is that bizarre-looking dragon!!?”

“I just infused my mana into the rose flowers!”

“Just… infused mana?”

A temporary infusion of mana alone would, at best, barely move the grass. Moreover, the tiny dried rose flowers had grown into such a colossal form. This was clearly abnormal.

(This is… the holder of the country’s greatest mana reserves… The Thorn Witch’s true power…!)

Raul’s ancestor, the First Thorn Witch, was said to have transformed a rose garden into a living fortress, capable of annihilating the armies of an enemy nation.

Cyril had considered it an exaggerated legend, but witnessing the scene before him made it seem entirely plausible.

The beautiful mage in front of him was said to have inherited the First Thorn Witch’s exceptional appearance and power. Meanwhile, the Thorn Witch looked up at the white rose dragon and scratched his head.

“Hmm, what should I name it… since I used white roses… Go! ‘White Hurricane No.1’!!”

Despite being given an exceedingly foolish name, the rose dragon naturally made no sound.

All it did was mow down the surrounding trees as it slid across the ground with its colossal body, closing in on the giant peas.

While it was unclear whether or not the giant pea plant possessed intelligence, it certainly seemed to recognize the rose dragon as a threat though.

Or perhaps it was simply enticed by the vast amount of mana within the rose dragon. The giant peas extended its vines toward it.

“Not happening!”

Raul swung his finger, and the rose dragon’s thorny tail tore through the vines of the giant peas. Not only was its colossal body impressive, but its physical strength was also beyond imagination.

Raul shouted, “Now, go rescue Monica while ‘White Hurricane No.1’ is holding it down!”

“…Do you even know where she is?”

It had been a considerable amount of time since Monica was dragged into the giant peas. Cyril currently had no idea where Monica might be within there.

“…”

“…”

Raul smacked his forehead with a thud.

“Oops. Didn’t think that far ahead.”

“I’m breaking ties with you!”

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