IPSC 13

Chapter 13

At the appearance of the massive basilisk, Lowell murmured a spell under his breath.

“Vincula Naturae, Serpentes Ligate.”

The ground split apart, and thick vines burst forth. They coiled around the basilisk’s snout, its body, and even its tail.

“Grrr—!”

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the basilisk thrashed violently.

At the knight commander’s signal, the knights unleashed a barrage of attacks on the basilisk.

Lowell and the Imperial Knights moved as though they were a single body, coordinating flawlessly as they assaulted the monster. Not a single movement was wasted.

The battle against the basilisk felt like a demonstration—proof that the combined might of the Imperial Knight Order and a mage was anything but ordinary.

“Kiiik! Kiiieek!”

As the knight commander severed the basilisk’s neck, the enormous body of the beast collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

As I stared blankly at the scene, Lowell spoke to me.

“They’re impressive, aren’t they?”

I’d only ever seen the Imperial Knights described in the game. I hadn’t expected them to fight this well.

Their battle was like a perfectly choreographed action movie scene—I nearly gave them a standing ovation.

“They really are amazing. I guess Imperial Knights are on a whole different level.”

At my response, Lowell smiled warmly.

“Stay close to me like this the whole expedition. If you do, you’ll be safe, my lady.”

That was exactly my plan. The threat posed by giant monsters like basilisks was nothing compared to something like snowfield spiders.

Still… it should be showing up soon.

I glanced around cautiously. There was no sign of anything yet.

According to the game’s storyline, several basilisks were supposed to appear after this fight—ones even larger than the one we’d just killed.

One of them would ambush me while I was in danger, only to be saved by one of the romanceable characters: the holy knight, Theodore.

Theodore would heal me, afflicted with a reflected status effect, using divine power. That was when his route would unlock.

But this time, I had no intention of following the system’s script.

It was one thing to get attacked by a basilisk in a game. But being possessed and taking a basilisk’s attack in reality? That was basically torture while still alive.

I glanced sideways at the fallen basilisk’s corpse.

Ugh. Just look at those dinosaur-like claws. If one of those hit me, losing a chunk of flesh would be the best outcome.

And I wasn’t even wearing armor. I couldn’t use magic either. I had no means of defense.

Before, the basilisk had served as a matchmaker that connected me with Theodore. This time, there was no reason to pursue him.

Just as I decided I should stick close to Lowell for safety, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him.

With a serious expression, he stared into the bushes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

A heavy vibration—different from before—rippled through the ground. The knights drew their swords again and assumed battle positions, while Lowell began chanting another spell.

Soon, a basilisk emerged from the undergrowth. It was far larger than the previous one.

But that wasn’t all. More basilisks revealed themselves from between the bushes.

Lowell tilted his head slightly.

“Basilisks aren’t known to be pack creatures.”

The basilisks fixed the knight order with cold, gleaming eyes.

The moment the knight commander raised his sword high into the air, the knights charged.

“Vincula Naturae, Serpentes Ligate!”

At Lowell’s spell, vines once again burst from the ground, binding the basilisks.

The basilisks struggled violently. Unable to withstand their strength, the vines were torn apart in an instant and fell limply to the ground, drawing gasps of shock.

Even then, Lowell calmly continued chanting.

“Erborum Rex, Carcerem Evoca!”

This time, thorny vines erupted from the earth, restraining the basilisks.

The thorny tendrils wrapped tightly around their snouts and bodies. Blood dripped steadily from skin pierced by thorns. In the meantime, the knights launched their attacks.

So this is a basilisk…

If that tail hit me, I wouldn’t be critically injured—I’d be dead on the spot.

In fact, shields struck by the basilisk’s tail crumpled like aluminum foil. Arrows fired by archers bounced harmlessly off its hide, unable to pierce it.

Enraged by the knights’ assault, the basilisks let out furious roars even as their beaks were bound by the thorny vines.

“Grrrrrrrk!”

The sound was chilling enough to make every hair on my body stand on end. These basilisks were clearly different from the one earlier.

Not only were they larger, but they seemed far more aggressive.

No wonder I’d gotten taken down before.

Honestly… I was pretty scared.

As the expedition struggled, I swallowed hard and edged closer to Lowell, my nerves on edge.

It felt like it would be my turn to get attacked any second now.

Driven by nothing but the desire to survive, I clung to Lowell’s arm—

“…My lady?”

Lowell’s eyes wavered.

[Lowell Cyprian’s affection has increased by 5.]
[Lowell Cyprian’s affection: 30]

Wait.

Why is his affection going up?

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

As Lowell’s concentration faltered, the thorny vines suppressing the basilisks loosened.

Seizing the opening, the basilisks opened their jaws, green mist spilling from their mouths.

Lowell shouted, his expression tightening.

“It’s poison gas! Everyone, cover your noses—!”

But it was too late. The knights exposed to the basilisk’s poison gas began to stiffen.

In an instant, the tide of battle turned.

More than half of the knights were immobilized by the poison gas.

That meant our forces had been cut by more than half.

What—what is this?

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…!

I only grabbed Lowell’s arm because I wanted to live!

While I panicked, Lowell quickly began chanting again.

“Aeris Sacrum, Veneno Resiste.”

A faint barrier formed around the remaining knights. It seemed to be a spell that increased resistance to poison and prevented intoxication.

It was useless for the knights who had already been petrified, but it worked on those who hadn’t yet inhaled the gas.

Still, more than half the forces were incapacitated. Cold sweat trickled down my back as the situation worsened.

The basilisks fixed the knights with their chilling gazes.

The knights swallowed hard, tightening their grips on their weapons.

In the tense standoff—

“Kiiieeeek!”
“Grrrrk!”

Just as the basilisks let out shrill cries and charged—

“Sanctum Vinculum, Hostis Ligatur!”

Holy light burst forth in all directions.

The battlefield was flooded with sacred radiance, and the basilisks struck head-on by the light writhed in agony.

“Kueeek!”
“Kiiieeeek!”

Through the holy glow, another group of knights appeared.

Clad in pure white armor engraved with crosses and draped in red cloaks, they looked like divine warriors descending from the heavens.

At their forefront, a red-haired knight leapt onto the basilisk’s body. Despite his heavy armor, his movements were impossibly light.

Landing effortlessly atop the basilisk, he raised a greatsword overflowing with holy power and severed the monster’s neck in a single stroke.

The basilisk’s head hit the ground with a dull thud.

“Phew.”

The man exhaled, running a hand through his hair. His flame-like red hair fluttered in the wind.

In contrast to his hair, his green eyes shone with vibrant vitality, as though imbued with the life of the forest.

He looked down at the Imperial Knights beneath his feet, then curled his lips into a playful smile, his eyes crinkling.

“Sorry I’m late, princesses.”

Red hair. A teasing voice. Warm, mischievous eyes.

I fixed my gaze on the familiar-looking man.

He continued cheerfully.

“But you understand, right? The protagonist always shows up last.”

The man was Theodore Blair—the ill-fated holy knight who would one day be burned at the stake.