Barbarian’s Dark Fantasy Strategy Guide

Chapter 24: Knightess （3）

“Sir Khalid, are you really sure about this? Scale Trolls are not to be trifled with.”

“You weren’t planning on going all the way to Farewell to ask for help anyway, were you?”

“How did you……”

Khalid had once blocked Ingrid’s sword just once when they first met in the canyon. Of course, he had collapsed from starvation after a few days, but he was able to roughly gauge her skills from that one blow.

If Khalid hadn’t stepped forward, it’s clear that she would have tried to handle it alone.

“Anyway, it’s a bit much of you to demand compensation from the farmers who have suffered.”

“Because I’m a mercenary.”

“Hehe, I’m just kidding. You did well. Honestly, I wasn’t happy with the way people treated you, Sir Khalid. But I can’t ask for money as a knight.”

Although she didn’t show it outwardly, it seemed that Ingrid also didn’t like the way people treated barbarians. However, seeing her trying to fulfill her duty as a knight, you could see how high her pride was.

“You might be treated even worse when you get to Farewell. Discrimination against barbarians is quite severe within the empire.”

“I know. It was similar in Windfall at first. There was a merchant who tried to scam me as soon as he saw me.”

“Did it change later?”

“I just didn’t care and did my job, and when I left, everyone was even shedding tears and seeing me off.”

“They must have been grateful to you, Sir Khalid, for saving the village.”

Ingrid is pleased as if it were her own accomplishment.

The fenced-in people, whose attitudes only change when it benefits them. Khalid didn’t think that was necessarily wrong. It just meant that the world was harsh.

Rather, it felt strange that someone like Ingrid treated him without prejudice from the beginning.

“It’s over there.”

A farmhouse situated in front of a vast golden field.

Flies are buzzing over the carcasses of livestock that have been reduced to bones. The Scale Trolls are nowhere to be seen, and only the growling breaths of the monsters can be heard from somewhere.

Sling.

Ingrid drew her saber.

“They’re nearby.”

“Did they crawl into the house because they hate sunlight?”

Khalid strode around the house.

『Hey, hey, be careful. These guys always travel in pairs.』

Kuaaaaagh!

As if to defy Becky’s warning, two Scale Trolls burst out of the house at the same time.

The monsters pounce on Khalid with their long, sharp claws like swords. They are smaller than other trolls, but much larger and more agile than humans.

Whoosh.

As Khalid swung the Blacksteel Axe strapped to his back in a semicircle, the troll’s claws were all severed.

Guoooo!

The green monster rolls on the ground in agony.

Khalid immediately climbs on top of its chest and tears off the thick scales covering its throat with brute force.

Zzzzt!

The screams of the agonizing Scale Troll echoed across the field.

Thud!

Soon, the Blacksteel Axe plunged into the exposed red flesh, and the screams were cut short. The Scale Troll’s head rolls like a chicken’s. It was a clean blow that left no room for regeneration.

The scales on the troll’s neck are much thicker and harder than those on other parts of its body, making it difficult to sever them in one blow. Considering the troll’s ability to regenerate quickly as long as the scales aren’t completely cut off, it was indeed efficient to remove the scales first.

『Even so, tearing it off with bare hands, you brute……』

Becky said, dumbfounded.

Scale Trolls, strong against physical attacks but vulnerable to magic or elemental attacks. She was curious to see how Khalid would deal with these creatures, classified as high-level monsters like ogres, but he easily subdued them with even greater physical strength.

She naturally didn’t expect him to lose, but even the concept of elemental advantage seemed useless against him.

By the time Khalid finished off the other one, the surroundings were filled with monsters that had rushed out of the house.

“This…… there are quite a few more than I heard, Sir Khalid.”

Ingrid cautiously backed away, wary of the Scale Trolls gathering from all directions.

『Wh, what is this? It feels like there are more than thirty, not ten?』

Although they are a species that lives in groups, it’s unusual to see so many gathered in one place. Furthermore, the leader’s power inevitably grows in proportion to their numbers.

“Ingrid.”

“Yes.”

“Can you handle these guys alone?”

『What?! What are you talking about! Do you think she’s a monster like you?』

“……If it’s just holding them off, I can manage somehow.”

『Huh?!』

Becky was speechless at Ingrid’s answer. The knight isn’t joking, she has a look of determination to hold them back.

“Then I’ll break through them and leave the rear to you. I’d appreciate it if you could buy me some time until I get back.”

“So you have another plan?”

“It’s not a plan, it’s a rule.”

“A rule?”

“When there are many enemies, take out the leader first, that’s my rule.”

“That’s a great rule. Alright. Leave the rear to me!”

“I’m going.”

“Yes!”

Khalid charged towards the Scale Troll horde with all his might. Ingrid followed closely behind him.

Thwack, crack, crunch!

The Blacksteel Axe wielded by Khalid pushed through the green chunks of meat like a bulldozer. Ingrid’s saber skillfully deflects the troll’s claws that attack from all sides.

Her speed is so fast that her sword flashes two or three times for every swing of Khalid’s axe. The combined assault of Khalid and Ingrid seamlessly cuts through the troll horde from left to right.

Grrrr……

The Scale Trolls, flustered by the overwhelming charge, slowly regrouped. Unfortunately, their numbers haven’t decreased at all.

The wounds inflicted by the axe and sword heal in the blink of an eye. But there’s no time to marvel at the troll’s amazing regenerative abilities.

“Hurry up and go, Sir Khalid.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Ingrid adjusted her grip on the saber and stood her ground against the troll horde. Khalid continued forward without looking back. To find the leader of the Scale Trolls.

『Hey! Are you really going to leave her alone? What if she dies?』

‘That’s why we’re cooperating like this.’

『Cooperating? Leaving your comrade behind and running away is cooperation?!』

‘You’re the one who doesn’t understand the meaning of cooperation.’

『What?』

‘We don’t divide tasks that can be done alone. Ingrid said she could hold them off alone. Adding strength to that isn’t cooperation, it’s a waste.’

『Th, that could have just been something she said……!』

‘It seems you don’t trust her skills.’

Of course not. It hasn’t been long since they met, and I haven’t seen her fight properly.

All Khalid did was block her sword once in the fog. Even Becky’s common sense couldn’t comprehend that he had grasped her skills from that.

‘Becky, I know you’re a suspicious person, but how about you learn to trust people in the future?’

『Sh, shut up! Don’t regret not listening to me later!』

Khalid knows that Becky said that because she’s worried about Ingrid. If there had been even a slight danger, he would have stayed and helped as well.

However, Becky doesn’t seem to know yet that Ingrid’s words about holding off the troll horde weren’t arrogance, but an expression of humility.

‘Did it crawl up from under here?’

A pit dug in the middle of the farmland.

A hole of a size suitable for a Scale Troll to pass through connects to the underground. Judging by the traces, it’s clear that they dug it with their claws.

『This tunnel…… seems to be connected to the underground waterway?』

Considering it reaches this far even though Farewell is still quite a distance away, the underground waterway must be of an enormous size.

Khalid slid down into the tunnel without hesitation. As he descended to a point where the light from above couldn’t reach, he arrived at an artificially constructed waterway.

‘So this is the ancient underground waterway……’

『Ugh, the smell of blood. There’s definitely something here.』

Becky gagged at the stench emanating from the waterway. Not only that, but she could also hear munching sounds from nearby.

And soon, they encountered the source of the smell and sound.

Brrrrrr……

Rainbow-colored scales covering its entire body from head to toe vibrated like insect wings.

『Ugh…… disgusting, damn it. Is it a demon again this time?!』

‘Indeed. I thought its appearance was peculiar, so it’s a Scale Troll that has become a demon.’

A house-sized demon crouched down, chewing on a cow’s entrails. It’s enjoying its meal, unaware of the human’s presence behind it.

Its size and the number of scales are incomparable to the ones encountered at the farmhouse. The rainbow-colored scales, layered two or three times, are like a dazzling scale armor.

『Listen carefully. Don’t even think about grabbing and tearing off the scales like you did before. You won’t be able to anyway, and even if you could, it’ll regenerate immediately.』

‘Then I’ll have to smash it along with the armor.’

『I wonder if that’s even possible……』

Rainbow-colored scales are said to be hard enough to deflect even steel. If an ignorant warrior rushes in recklessly, they’ll only see a barrage of 1 damage.

『Hey, do you have any fire?』

‘I left the flint in the saddlebag.’

（Damn it!）

Whether it’s a demon or not, the troll’s weakness is clear.

Fire or acid. If there’s heat or acid that can melt the scales, the creature’s armor becomes useless. That’s why in the game, you always carry tools or magic to prepare for such enemies. In other situations, you naturally flee.

（Huh. Am I…… perhaps, someone who doesn’t know how to deal with them if I don’t know their weaknesses?）

Becky is a veteran player who knows the weaknesses of all enemies in the game. Conversely, it means that she has accurately exploited those weaknesses thousands, tens of thousands of times.

『Uh, uh…… This isn’t right. Khalid, I think we need to get out of here for now.』

‘I told you before that I don’t run away from demons.’

『It’s not that! This guy is weak to fire, but we don’t have anything other than an axe right now.』

‘One axe is enough.’

Khalid slowly approached the demon, holding the Blacksteel Axe. He knows that Scale Trolls hate light and are weak to fire.

It’s the first time he’s seen one transformed into a demon, but he’s never turned his back on an unfamiliar demon. As always, he found his own way and dealt with it on the spot.

It’s just a matter of whether he struggles a little more or less.

Swish!

As he got closer to the troll, its scales shook violently. Whether it was its own special detection ability or not, it was clearly threatening Khalid.

‘Let’s see how hard it really is.’

『I told you earlier! It’s harder than steel, okay?』

‘I’m not talking about the scales. What I’m curious about is this Blacksteel Axe.’

Khalid gripped the Blacksteel Axe with both hands. He clenched it so tightly that a creaking sound came from the handle. It had been a long time since he hadn’t divided his strength between his hands.

According to Becky, this Blacksteel Axe is imbued with a power that makes it unbreakable. In other words, he no longer needs to worry about his weapon breaking.

His heart pounded at the thought of being able to fight without holding back his strength for the first time in his life.

‘From now on, I’ll pour all my strength into every attack.’

As Khalid opened his eyes wide, the violently trembling troll scales abruptly stopped moving with a chuck. The troll’s back scales, which had taken on a pinecone-like shape, seemed to be aiming at Khalid.

Whoosh!

One of the scales shot towards Khalid’s neck like an arrow. But at that moment, a black flash flickered, and the scale disappeared somewhere.

（What, just now? Did he swing the axe?）

Becky couldn’t comprehend what had happened even though she felt it with all her senses.

The troll, realizing that its prey was still alive, wriggled dozens of its back scales simultaneously. This time, it’s a volley.

Swish, swish, swish!

『Da, danger……!』

Before Becky could even let out a scream, Khalid calmly captured all the incoming scales in his vision.

“Haa!”

Khalid stretched his arms out forcefully.

Then, a beam of light emanating from the Blacksteel Axe swallowed all the scales.