How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 49

49. What You Need in Life is Money (5)

Seizing the opportunity, the mercenaries surged forward, eager to finish off the Drake.

One of them, having escaped the sand swamp, lunged toward me.

“Not a chance, reptile.”

I casually drew my sword, sidestepped his attack, and struck.

Clang.

The Drake’s scales were incredibly hard; the impact of my sword felt like hitting solid rock.

My hand even tingled slightly.

My swordsmanship alone wasn’t enough to penetrate those scales.

But that wasn’t my intention.

I channeled mana into the sword, activating its magic.

The flowing magical chains erupted, binding the Drake and rendering it completely immobile.

“Hmm, simple and effective.”

It’s less tiring and more efficient than forcing a spatial fixation for binding.

Good sword.

And…

I boldly thrust my sword into the Drake’s open maw.

“Sword. Not tasty, huh?”

Its throat convulsed, and it collapsed, spitting blood.

A cruel method, but necessary given the impenetrable nature of its scales.

“Then, the remaining Drakes…”

With that, all nine that had initially surrounded us were eliminated.

At this rate, we might actually manage later on.

Thinking this, I looked up.

“…What?”

I frowned at the unexpected notification.

Why?

Just for defeating Drakes?

There’s no time to ponder the reason now.

I had a hunch.

A very troublesome one.

I scanned the surroundings, using infrared detection in conjunction with my normal senses.

No other heat signatures… Huh?

“…Damn it.”

“What’s wrong, Ailan?”

“That one’s quite big.”

“What do you mean? These guys are a bit bulky, but…”

“I’m not talking about them. …I’m talking about *that* one.”

I clicked my tongue and glared at the point where the massive heat source was visible.

It’s huge.

A heat signature approximately ten times the size of the other Drakes is approaching.

Is that also a Drake? No way!

…Is this the Black Magician’s doing as well?

As I explained what I sensed, the mercenaries’ expressions turned grim.

“What do you intend to do?”

“Let’s bring out the bait. We need to throw everything we have at it and retreat,” I suggested without hesitation.

Fighting that thing is an option, but I’d be completely exhausted after taking down just that one.

The real problem is what comes after.

‘…And if the Black Magician deliberately released this, there’s no end to it.’

Even if we defeat this one, more monsters will inevitably be dispatched.

In that case, we should avoid it.

Let’s hide and devise another plan.

“Alright! Let’s retreat!”

The mercenaries vehemently agreed.

They quickly decided to retreat and hurriedly began to move back.

Pushing through the dense trees, trampling and knocking them down, the giant Drake revealed itself.

Thump!

The ground seemed to shake just from the swing of its tail.

As expected, the size difference is enormous.

I don’t even dare to consider fighting it.

Fortunately, the overgrown trees in the forest seem to be hindering the overweight Drake, slowing its movements.

If we actively use the obstacles to our advantage, we should be able to escape.

We didn’t need to say it; I sensed that our opinions aligned just by looking at each other’s eyes.

The moment we tried to run towards the densest part of the forest…

“…Huh?”

A chill ran down my spine.

The wind blew.

Not just any wind.

I quickly realized what it was.

Airflow caused by a sudden surge in mana pressure…

“Who…?”

Someone is using mana.

And with such force that even I, who am slow to sense these things, noticed it.

The name of the most likely candidate reflexively popped into my head.

If there’s anyone who could be here… maybe?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a blue storm swept past the giant Drake.

The terrifying cold made me step back several paces without realizing it.

The storm, containing countless ice blades, engulfed the giant Drake, swept it away, and slid it for hundreds of meters before subsiding.

When the storm cleared, all that remained was the trail of the ice storm and the giant Drake’s miserable, lifeless form.

“…Wh-What was that just now?”

The mercenaries were also speechless, their mouths agape.

“Could it be that you did that?”

“If I could do that, why would I have suggested running away? Sadly, it wasn’t me.”

I can’t unleash an attack of that magnitude.

I told them what I was sure the phenomenon was.

“That was magic just now.”

The only ways to cause such a phenomenon would be magic or spiritism.

And it would require the ability of a considerable master.

If it’s a magician, they would probably have to be around the 6th Circle [a high level of magical proficiency].

As I looked in the direction where the magic first surged, I saw the figure of a magician approaching us.

A magician wearing a blue robe.

As she came closer, her appearance became clearer.

A blonde woman wearing a generous robe.

She hovered in the air, looking around.

“Is that really a magician?”

“…That woman did that just now?”

The mercenaries, seeing her, buzzed with tension.

I understand their confusion.

Meanwhile, my eyes widened for a different reason.

The first encounter with a main character in this place.

I’ve finally found her.

The one who will be the linchpin of this Black Magician subjugation.

I finally found her.

* * *

Kruse Elfament.

Belongs to the White Magic Tower [a prestigious organization for mages].

A genius magician who has reached the 6th Circle at this point.

Was she 18 years old at the time of her first appearance?

Anyway, the most important thing is that she is a character with a supporting role.

‘Her first appearance is in Volume 5.’

She first appeared in the episode where the protagonist, Sylvester, is chasing the Black Magician.

At first, they competed as rivals because their goals overlapped.

Gradually, their understanding aligned, and they cooperated.

Even in the original work, her actions usually involved assisting when magic was needed or when fighting against individuals like Black Magicians.

After passing the middle part of the original work to some extent, she gained some importance and accompanied the protagonist as a companion.

Therefore, it was only natural that she was marked as a supporting character.

However, why is such a main character wandering around in a place like this?

‘I thought there was a high possibility that Kruse would come here from the beginning.’

The basis is a line she said in Volume 5 while competing with the protagonist over the subjugation of the Black Magician.

She made that statement while asserting her achievements and competing for the subjugation rights.

At this time, she had a somewhat confident side, so she easily clashed with the protagonist.

One of the places mentioned at that time was this place.

From there, I became convinced that there was a Black Magician here and that Kruse would defeat him.

Rather, if she wasn’t here, it would mean my prediction was wrong, which would be troublesome.

Because I can’t defeat the Black Magician alone.

Instead, I need someone reliable to smack the Black Magician in the back of the head.

So, her appearance is something to welcome, not something to frown upon.

If possible, I’d like to set off fireworks and welcome her appearance.

Meanwhile, unlike me, who was inwardly excited, Mr. Soland seemed to have recalled something when he saw Kruse.

“…Right. That’s the magician. The magician we encountered last time was her. I can’t believe she’s still here.”

Mr. Soland, who was muttering in surprise, quietly spoke into my ear.

“…Ailan, are you alright?”

“…Yes? What do you mean?”

“…That magician, you’re not acquainted with her, are you?”

“…Sort of.”

“…Then isn’t this a dangerous situation?”

That’s a natural opinion.

It’s amazing that she’s a strong magician, but from their perspective, Kruse is an unknown entity.

She’s better than the Black Magician, but they can’t be sure she’s an ally.

“…She’ll be fine.”

“…What’s the basis?”

“…It’s not like I’m destined to get beaten up, am I?”

I said it as a joke, but he made a genuinely subtle face.

…Am I that untrustworthy?

Actually, there’s a corner of my mind that believes she won’t be harmful.

The basis for that is the magic from just now.

She only blew away the giant Drake and didn’t inflict any damage on us.

At least she won’t attack us.

Above all, as far as I know, Kruse Elfament isn’t that kind of person in the original work.

At least not unless I do something wrong.

If worst comes to worst, I can expose my belly like an animal and immediately prostrate myself in a gesture of surrender, and she’ll recognize that I’m harmless.

Fortunately, there’s no need to go that far.

Kruse, who landed in front of us, didn’t show any hostility.

Rather, she glanced at us one by one with a worried expression.

“Are you alright? It seemed a bit dangerous, so I intervened… Was it perhaps unnecessary?”

“Of course not! We’re alive thanks to you, Magician-nim! Ahaha~ I thought we were completely dead just now.”

Instead of the mercenaries, who were slightly hesitant, I stepped forward and responded to the conversation.

Since I know her to some extent better than them, I’ll be able to handle it best.

First, I need to demonstrate harmlessness as much as possible and show sincerity.

I readily introduced my name first.

“I’m Ailan. And these people are the mercenaries who are accompanying me on this request. If we have the same goal, you probably know why we’re here.”

“Ah… So you’ve come because of that request too.”

She seems to have understood.

“I’m Kruse Elfament. I’m affiliated with the White Magic Tower.”

There are various types of magicians.

Those who have awakened their abilities through self-study, or those who have gained opportunities and been taught some magic, and so on.

Among them, there is a group that can be called elite, and that is the Magic Tower.

Well, let’s skip the story about that place, as it would be too long.

The mercenaries were shocked to hear her words.

“…You’re affiliated with the Magic Tower? But the rumors say…”

It seems that Mr. Soland also knows the rumors about this request.

That the Magic Tower cannot dispatch magicians.

Kruse nodded, knowing this.

“I’m traveling personally, so my actions have nothing to do with the Magic Tower’s intentions.”

“Then… the reason the magician lady came here is solely because of the request?”

“…Well, that’s kind of the case.”

The reason Kruse’s tone was a bit hesitant was probably because she didn’t want to be seen as the same as the mercenaries who were lured by money.

She has a personal purpose for getting involved in this, but she will never reveal it.

So, I should keep my mouth shut about that part too.

Anyway, there’s no problem since we’re both aiming for the Black Magician.

After that, we formally talked about the information regarding the request.

“Have you been searching for the Black Magician’s location, Kruse-ssi?”

“…Yes.”

The reason she nodded with a slightly displeased tone was probably because she hadn’t found any other clues despite staying and searching here for several days.

She seems to be having a hard time.

According to the original work, she doesn’t seem to be able to find him.

“Isn’t he not here?”

“That’s not the case. The monster from just now, and… they were clearly released to protect this place. It must be because things are getting bigger, and they’re getting desperate.”

She will continue to search this place, and she will probably discover the Black Magician’s base within a few days.

At least, that’s what was mentioned in the original work as far as I know.

‘Fortunately, she hasn’t found it yet.’

Then it’s a good time to intervene.

I secretly smirked and decided to make a formal proposal.

The first stage of the Black Magician’s hideout raid plan.

Recruiting a powerful ally of the main character level is necessary.

In summary.

Subtly, with a feeling of ‘Why don’t you join me and make a solid profit?’

I need to coax her.

To put it bluntly, she needs to become the main dealer [the primary source of damage] in our party.

What we need now is attack power. We need area damage.