Chapter 34 — The Weight of Reputation
Julie tightened her grip on the Cube Bomb, her teeth clenched hard.
If she threw this thing, the job would turn into a complete loss.
But compared to the reputation of the Giant Axe Mercenary Corps, money meant nothing.
Just when she resolved herself—
"What are you spacing out for? It's already charging straight at you."
A voice suddenly rang beside her ear.
Julie snapped her head up—
and the massive creature was already barreling down on her!
"Crap—no time!"
The moment her scream burst out, the air in front of her rippled, and a pale—annoyingly handsome—face stuck out of the void.
"...Elias?!"
—WHOOSH!
Julie felt her whole body twist violently, sucked by some unseen force—
And before she could process anything, she was spat back out.
When she opened her eyes, she was already standing at the edge of the crater.
A pair of mocking eyes stared at her distorted expression.
"As a mercenary, getting distracted in the middle of battle… quite unbecoming, don't you think?"
Julie opened her mouth to retort—
then her stomach churned like a storm.
"...Ugh—!"
She bent over, dry heaving.
"What in the hell was that magic?! You almost made me puke my guts out!"
Elias replied with a pleasant smile:
"Teleportation Magic — Phantom Manifestation."
"It lets you instantly relocate on the battlefield. The upside: fast.
The downside…"
He shrugged casually.
"Nausea is minor. Losing an arm, a leg, or your entire head during transit—those happen too."
"...WHAT?!"
Julie shot to her feet, roaring,
"You used a magic that dangerous on me?! Are you trying to kill me?!"
Elias clicked his tongue, shaking his head as if she was the unreasonable one.
"I save your life, and this is what I get?
Mercenary standards sure have fallen."
"N—Nobody asked you to save me!"
Julie hefted her giant axe with a proud swing.
"If you hadn't interfered, I would've landed the finishing blow!"
"No, you would've been finished."
Elias smirked sharply.
"At that range, if you detonated that bomb, the best outcome would be you and the turtle dying together."
"No—scratch that.
That toy wouldn't even scratch its barrier."
He glanced down into the crater where the Crystal Turtle thrashed about violently.
And that strange feeling inside him deepened—
The magic radiating from the turtle… felt disturbingly similar to that of a demon.
Julie suddenly snatched up the Cube Bomb and shoved it right under Elias's nose.
"Useless? Useless? Do you have any idea how much this thing costs?"
"Nine silver strals!"
"A full! Nine!"
Elias glanced at the bomb. The engraved rupture runes did look somewhat familiar…
But he had no intention of changing his stance.
"If you really think that toy works, you're welcome to jump back down there and try again."
"But before you go commit suicide, I have a question."
"How did the request to hunt this Crystal Turtle end up with you people?"
Julie let out a long breath.
"…Fine."
"Since you did save my life, I'll tell you."
"Three days ago, residents from a nearby mountain sent a request—they said a berserk Crystal Turtle appeared near the foothills and caused extensive destruction."
"We thought it was strange too. According to the modern Bestiary, Crystal Turtles aren't aggressive creatures."
"But when we arrived, the forest was already blown open into this giant crater…"
Elias murmured, "So even now, no one knows why it suddenly went berserk…"
"That kind of minor detail is irrelevant!"
"One more bomb and it's finished!"
Julie leapt back into the pit.
This time, she calculated the distance perfectly, eyes sharp with determination.
"HEY! YOU OLD LUMP OF SHELL!"
"Your grand leader is right here!"
"Come crash into me! Come on—HIT ME!"
Hearing her taunts, the Crystal Turtle spun around instantly, its crystal barrier flaring to life as it charged straight at her!
"Heh… vanish!"
Julie sneered and hurled the Cube Bomb.
Two seconds later—
—BOOOOM!!!
The explosion lit up the night. Julie shielded her eyes as the shockwave blasted her hair backward.
When the smoke finally dissipated, she slowly lowered her hands.
"Did… did it work?"
The gigantic turtle lay collapsed like a toppled house.
Its protective barrier was shattered, and the crystals on its shell had gone dim.
"Heh… just one more hit."
Julie raised her axe—
And in that instant, the turtle unleashed a deafening roar.
Its massive body rose, magic surging violently from within!
The crystals on its shell blazed back to life.
In less than three seconds, the Crystal Barrier was fully restored.
"This…"
Julie's pupils trembled. Her legs instinctively backed away.
"Even the Cube Bomb…?"
"Did Elias really…"
Before she could finish, a black silhouette dropped quietly beside her.
"Of course I was right."
Elias stared at the turtle's barrier.
"A Crystal Turtle's shield runs on its internal magic.
And the strength of that magic depends on what kind of stones it's eaten."
"This one must've swallowed something… remarkable."
Julie: (´-ι_-｀)
"Then let's run!"
Elias: (≖_≖'')
"The one yelling 'fight me' a minute ago… wasn't that you?"
Julie: (=ω=)
"Times change! And my nine-silver bomb is gone! Even if I wanted to fight, I'm out of options!"
"And the mercenary corps' reputation?"
"As long as I'm alive, I can rebuild it tomorrow! A real woman adapts!"
Elias: (≖_≖'')
"Adaptable, sure… mostly in size."
"But if you run, then I'm claiming the so-called reputation."
Julie froze.
"What's that supposed to mean? You're gonna fight that thing?"
"I'll tell you now—if you get hurt, I won't be patching you up. You don't even know basic self-healing—"
Elias ignored her jab and raised his right hand.
"Regardless… I suggest you ready your axe."
Julie scoffed and slung the giant axe back onto her shoulder.
"Fine. It's up. What next? Got some secret trick?"
Elias lightly rubbed two fingers together—
—Snap.
Julie: "Are you seriously—"
—CRACK!!!
The Crystal Turtle's barrier shattered like glass before her eyes.
"H-HOW?!"
"The Cube Bomb couldn't even scratch it—
and you break it with a finger snap?!"
Elias remained expressionless.
"Why are you still standing there? The barrier's gone.
Go reclaim your so-prized 'reputation.'"
Julie snapped back to focus, roared, and charged.
—Crunch!
Blood sprayed as her axe landed squarely on the unprotected monster.
The mercenary's honor was restored.