Tailed Warrior of The Unknown Race

Chapter 8

"... lad…ake up, lad…"

From the dark grasp of unconsciousness, I awoke. My body, numb to every sense, slowly began to stir to life and feel the sensations of the environment. The sensations of a very, very cold environment.

I groaned weakly, cracking my eyelids to the brightness of the daylight. My face, cold as it was, slowly began to grow warm from the sun's rays. It seemed like the blizzard had passed.

I forced myself to wake up faster than what my body was telling me, looking around at my surroundings. I noticed first that the old dwarf Validus was in front of me, knelt down and wearing the same attire I last saw him with. He didn't seem all that sullied, though there was a distinct look of distraught on his face.

"... t-the hell happened?" I croaked, bumping a fist to my chest as I cleared my throat. Judging by the fact that I wasn't hearing that much commotion, I took the hint that the fight had already ended. And I could probably make a good guess who won.

"The wyverns lost their numbers and retreated. We won," Validus explained plainly, standing up, "but not without losses… can you stand?"

"I'll… try," I exhaled while trying to heave myself up. I winced, though, as I felt a sharp pain to my side. I almost forgot the fact that I had broken ribs. "Agh…yeah, no… not happening."

Validus nodded slowly. "Very well, then you stay here lad. I'll bring over a healer."

"Alright."

I watched as the old dwarf turned and left, making his way towards the entrance of the mines. It was then that I actually noticed the state of the entire place. Basically all the big machinery was damaged in some way, if not completely scrapped into pieces. Alongside the total wreckage was a sickening display of blood, which painted nearly every surface I could see. Amidst this rugged setting were concentrated piles of wyvern corpses. They likely had begun cleaning long ago, and judging by the lack of dead dwarves they probably also dealt with their own casualties.

"...woah!" Lazily droning my eyes around, I physically flinched as I saw how close I was to a wyvern's corpse; the same wyvern that I had killed before passing out. The recurring memories made me grimace, and I began to contemplate everything that had unfolded.

'So… that was it, huh? My first ever battle… like, ever,' No warm ups, no warnings, no nothing. Just straight into combat, with nothing but my own jumbled thoughts to guide me. And… it turns out that I actually did a pretty good fucking job, huh? Like, damn, I had a feeling I was gonna die today, but lo and behold I started pulling moves right out my ass that I've never done before.

Asspulls? I can see the argument there… but actually, maybe not completely asspulls. I had put some thought into my actions amidst the fight, and although they were experimental, I used what I already knew of myself. Or at least what I knew of my new body.

But I think that's besides the point, I'm not focusing on the right thing. The real question that I should ask myself is whether I'm okay or not. Like, no, seriously. Am I okay?

…

… am I really alright? Or is it that the withdrawal has yet to arrive?

"..." I quietly brought my gaze away from the wyvern corpse and leaned back against the damaged machinery, watching the dwarves solemnly move about and clean the destructive mess. Maybe I could be overthinking things… because if I'm still able to have normal thoughts, then I'm probably not as affected by this as I think I should be. But at the same time… it felt like I had to feel something. I had many firsts today. First time entering a battle, first time seeing actual corpses in person… first time willingfully killing something… and yet, with all that…

…I just dunno. It's conflicting, and I'm definitely overthinking some of it.

But I pushed the topic aside. For the next bit of time I continued to watch the dwarves clean. It was easy to have an empty mind, since I was just so damn exhausted to keep on overthinking. It gave me time to embrace life at the moment, feeling the frigid coldness on my skin and hearing all the foreign sounds I've yet to accustom to. By the time Validus returned with the medic, the dwarves I was watching were discussing whether to burn the draconic corpses or use them as food for some creatures I have no recollection of.

"Hello Mr. Sean," the medic approached me in a soothing voice. She was a nurse, more specifically a green-eyed dwarf girl with brown-red hair tied in a bun and wearing white winter clothes. She didn't have anything on her other than a wooden staff. "Will it be alright if I examine you?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem," I nodded, not really feeling the need to resist. Confirming my suspicions that magic would be at play, the dwarf nurse's staff glowed a lime-green hue, and so did my body. I felt something, but I couldn't really describe it other than the fact that it was magic. At least it was a much tamer experience than what I first experienced all that time ago.

"...fractured ribs, trauma near the spinal cord, and numerous cuts," the nurse began muttering to herself, and woefully I managed to hear some of it. Especially the spine part. Oh yeah, and also the spine part too. Did I mention that she said something about the spine?

"Woah, what? Spine? Am I gonna be alright?" I asked warily, now unsure of whether I should even try to move at the moment or not. That wyvern really did a fucking number on me, huh?

"It'll be fine, Mr. Sean. You only have bruised muscles in your back, your spine is fine," the nurse explained, much to my relief. Next, I felt a lightweight sensation coursing through my body as the green magic aura intensified. Quickly I began to feel the fatigue and numbing pain vanish, and after a few seconds I could visibly see some of my cuts disappear.

When she finished, I examined myself. I felt a noticeable burst of energy within me, as if I was dunked into an ice bath after a long slumber. And in terms of physical appearance, I was basically brand new… though unfortunately the cuff marks were still there. I guess they're something I'll just have to continue carrying with me.

"I've healed all your wounds, Mr. Sean," the nurse reaffirmed with a smile.

I smiled back gratefully. "Thanks a bunch, Ms…."

"Amethyst."

"Yeah, thanks a bunch Ms. Amethyst."

"The pleasure is mine," she said. Giving a short farewell bow, the nurse Amethyst then went on towards another group of dwarves near a group of minecarts. Validus—having watched everything from the back—approached me with a slightly less stressful look than before….

…yeah, no, the old man's still hella stressed out, and rightfully so.

"Lad… no, Sean," Validus began, though his tone shifted in a way that hinted he was in for some serious business here.

"What's up?" I tried to keep it casual the best I could despite his shifted demeanor. I'm not really a fan of forced seriousness, and although this situation calls for every sort of seriousness, I just didn't feel the right mindset to actively have that attitude. Plus, Validus and I have talked casually ever since meeting each other. I'd rather not change that right now… I think it'd help ease things out, anyways.

Validus pressed his lips, running a hand through his gray beard. "...there… there were many faults today… a few of which you must've noticed earlier…"

"...?" I tilted my head as I contemplated his words. Faults? How could there be faults when they literally were the ones that got attacked? There was just nothing they could do about…

…

…oooooh… nevermind. I remember now.

Despite my best attempts to lay off cool, I failed to hide my frown. "Right… the fact that half of you guys holed up while the rest fought? Yeah, I remember that."

My comment made Validus wince. "There's a good reason behind it, lad… please understand that."

I went quiet for a moment before huffing in exasperation. "...I'm not gonna gnaw you about it, Validus. It's not my business to be mad… not me of all the people around here. But… yeah, a little explanation would help."

"..." Validus's shoulders seemed to have sagged just slightly, though that could be the light messing with my eyes. "This isn't our first attack, as you've also probably noticed. The last one was a few years ago, and we didn't have the lockdown protocol as we do now. We also had less dwarves ready to fight at the time, and so a few of the wyverns managed to enter the mines… I'm sure you can picture what unfolded."

… okay, fine. With an explanation like that, I understand now. I could see why they didn't just open the doors when I was carrying the injured dwarf. From what he said, it looks like they unfortunately learnt the hard way about leaving your home open to intruders. And that… does kinda suck. I could definitely picture it, so there was definitely no room for me to be mad… like, at all.

Not like I was mad in the first place, anyways. Just… slightly stirred from the moment. That was it, honest.

"...did you guys at least get the dwarf I left at the door?" I eventually asked out of curiosity. Even if they weren't in the most optimal situation to open the door, I'm sure they could've time themselves right to swiftly snatch him in. Or something like that.

"Of course, the moment the attacks waned I had some of the dwarves pull the lad in," Validus nodded, confirming my presumption, "your scarf bandages were flimsy, but they helped fend off his wounds from completely rotting."

"Glad to hear," I sighed, feeling just slightly better. Believe it or not, that injured dwarf was still bothering me in the back of the head even during the fight. I was technically the reason he got hurt like that anyways… but I'm glad he's good now.

With that said, I decided to risk standing up. Unlike before, I didn't feel any sharp pains in my side or back, so that was a good sign. Once on my feet, I stretched my arms out with a faint yawn and gave my head a small shake.

Yeah… it's a good feeling to be alive, I've now realized. Reflecting on the costs of this sudden skirmish, I'm lucky I didn't end up on the casualty list… could've been a much nastier ending for me.

"...you know, lad, you're quite the spectacle."

"Huh?" I glanced over at Validus, who was giving me a look. A look of… pride? I can't really put my finger on it with all the beard hair in the way, but… I've seen that face before. I think. It kind of reminds me of my dad's face whenever he was looking at me when I was younger.

"I didn't take ya for a mage, lad," Validus laughed out loud, suddenly slapping my back albeit forcefully, "you really had that one well hidden, eh?"

"What...I'm not a mage," I deadpanned, decidingly ignoring the slap.

"Ha! You convinced me with the goblin part, but you can't fool me on this one lad."

"I'm being serious, though," I insisted, raising my palm up in front of him for visual proof. Focusing, I imaged an energy sphere floating in place, and sure enough it appeared with ease. I'm still skeptical on whether this is magic or whatnot, but for convenience I'll just call it energy. I do usually feel my energy drain whenever I produce these, so it'd only make sense. "I'm not sure what it is myself, but I wouldn't call myself a mage or wizard."

Validus hummed, eyeing the white sphere before nodding. "Nonetheless, your powers aided us immensely. Without your help… this would've been our unadulterated loss."

"...hey, it's cool. I was just doing my part," I said dismissively, attempting to brush it off. It didn't feel right to take credit for anything that happened. Dwarves still died, and I was in shock within the first few minutes of battle. At most, I did a half-ass job.

He didn't respond immediately, but Validus had a wide grin on his face. No second later, he slapped my back once again with a chuckle. "Alright, lad, the day's work is off. Let's go'n the dinin' hall for some hard rum!"

I doubt whether this was the most appropriate approach at the time, but I didn't complain. I wasn't really a heavy drinker, but… this one time I could let it slide.

The evening sun casted its orange rays through the large windows, illuminating the emptiness of the office room. Below, one could see the citizen activity dialing down as shop owners closed their stores and residents prepared for nightfall. Even closer from the streets was the expansive courtyard right underneath the window, where adventurers idled about and greeted other parties that were entering through the gates, ready to deposit their day's work.

Humming thoughtfully to himself, an aged man in his late 40s turned his attention from the windows, casting his experienced blue gaze down at the paperwork on his desk. From the corner of the desk, a small bowl of incense burned, giving a fragrance of scented wood that flooded the whole room. With his focus returned, guildmaster Astrid Firewelse resumed the last of his work, with the thoughts of returning back home to his loving family dancing in the back of his mind.

'...Hm… yet another expedition request for the same monster,' Firewelse eventually thought to himself, running a meaty and calloused hand through his graying auburn hair with an exasperated sigh. As the paper before him read, yet another group of adventurers requested funding for a massive expedition to hunt down the monster that decimated the Ivory Outpost. The only difference of this request was the prestige of said adventurers; apparently even the veteran S ranks were now jumping in on the trends. This would be the thirty-second request he's received in the past three days for the same expedition, and it was beginning to become rather irritating.

And so, like he's done for the others, he quickly placed a stamp of disapproval and added the paper to the monstrous stack that he had gone through throughout most of the day. To say that this persistence was an annoyance was a heavy understatement. The moment word got out, it spread throughout the empire faster than what a wildfire could do in a field of dried wheat. Not soon after would you not have a single conversation without mentioning the attack of this outpost. It was coming to the point of insanity, and Firewelse was one of the rare few that couldn't care any less of this supposed monster.

However… it wasn't like there was a commotion for naught. Indeed, Ivory Outpost was one of the few frontier outposts of the empire, where the strongest soldiers were normally deployed. To think that an entire centurion of soldiers, all completely decimated in one night… there was some reason to the commotion.

Nonetheless, it was still irritating, and frankly overexaggerated. Firewelse silently noted to himself to put a temporary ban on expedition requests as he finished the last of his work. However, as he came to the final pages, there was a timid knock on the door, followed by a young lady entering the room. She was dressed in the guild's work uniform, with shoulder length hair and narrow glasses. In her grasp was a folder, but it was the barely visible emblem on the folder that caught Firewelse's attention.

"Excuse me, sir," the guild assistant said, walking up to his desk and offering the folder, " there's an important notice for you."

"Thank you, Mira," Firewelse nodded, bringing the folder close. Now seeing it more clearly, the emblem on the folder was that of a black feline. It was from the royal family… or, really, the former royal family. Seeing this, the guildmaster gave a curt nod to the assistant. "You are dismissed. You may leave early if you wish."

"Thank you, sir," Mira gave a warm smile before bowing and leaving the room. As the door closed, Firewelse turned his seat around, facing the windows once more. He opened the folder, carefully removing the letter and paper package from within.

Reading through the letter, his smile grew wider and wider. As he reached the end, he gazed at the package with much thought. In his mind, many ideas began to race, all of which led to a very welcoming future. Not only for him, but for the guild and potentially even the empire itself.

Firewelse chuckled, staring off into the horizon. "...haha… I guess a family trip was in due time…"

"... these mines can no longer be of service. As much as it burns me to say this, there's just no reason for anyone to restore this place… it'd be too costly and for little to no profit."

I nodded slowly at Validus's words, bringing my attention to the masses of dwarves moving about the area. It was about a day since the wyvern attack, and these guys were still cleaning up this place to the best of their abilities. The dwarves decided to burn the wyvern bodies, which ended up cleaning up the place a bit but also giving the air a nye-permanent stench of burnt flesh. It didn't look like they cared about that last part, though; in fact, most of the dwarves seemed like they enjoyed burning the bodies.

Speaking of bodies, they also managed to count up the number of dwarves that had died in the fight. Exactly fifty seven… and in comparison to the population of this place, that's a pretty significant percentage of these guys. There was a ceremonial event that took place for the fallen. I participated out of respect, even if I didn't exactly understand half of the words or practices they did. And right after that they got out three more carriages to load up their fallen brethren, which will be sent together with the other shipment that got delayed from the attack. Once they reach the capitals, the bodies will be sent to their hometowns to be buried.

So, yeah… that's pretty much it. It's exactly as Validus said. Despite the best efforts, the machinery of these mines were damaged beyond repair. There was no way to salvage them and it was difficult to even move them due to their weight and permanent structures. That doesn't even account for the few cave-ins that happened within the mines due to the destruction of these machines. So it really did look like this mine was coming to its final days.

"Once again, thank you for your help lad," Validus said, giving me a small nod, "it's reassuring knowing that this caravan will be safely guarded."

"Yeah, no problem," I grinned at the old dwarf, "I got nothing else to do, anyways. Better make myself useful around here."

"You're not obligated to, but nonetheless we appreciate it. You are a goodhearted, Sean."

"...mmm, I like to think more that I just try to uphold my morals."

I wasn't really going for a joke there—nor do I even think what I said was funny—but Validus nonetheless laughed out heartily, once again going for a hard slap on my back. I don't know what's up with these dwarves and slapping people's backs. "Haha, I guess we all should take inspiration from that eh?"

Albeit annoyed, I shook it off with an exasperated sigh. "Anyways, since this mine is closing, what'll happen to my training?"

"Hm?" Validus curled a brow, genuinely confused.

"You know, the whole goblin training thing?"

"Ah, right," Validus hummed, running a hand through his beard, "I have to be honest here, I don't really know how the goblins would deal with a situation like this. You're a pretty special case as it is, lad. We've only ever had three goblins survive our mines, and that's out of the hundreds that participated. You'd be the fourth."

Right… I do remember him saying something like this before. This 'training' was all basically free labor, so there wasn't anything formal in a sense. With that said, it seems that my training is also coming to a close, and… I guess it's whatever. It's not like I really wanted to do all of this in the first place… hell, the only reason I even bothered to do this was in fear the goblins would kill Bluey and Mustang…

…

… holy shit, I haven't seen those two in a minute, huh? And now I'm heading off even further from this place…

… eh, I'm sure they'll understand. At least Bluey… still doubtful on the self-conscious horse shit.

"Will you be returning to your nest after this?" Validus asked.

"Nah, that isn't even my nest," I waved dismissively, "if my training is really over, then I'll just be doing my own things for now on. I was forced into this mess, anyways."

"Hm, I see," the old dwarf nodded sagely, seeming to have come into terms with something. He then dug a hand in his coat, pulling out a small purple blanket. It seemed to be wrapped around a sphere of some sorts. "If that's the case, then I'd feel even more comfortable if you carry this lad."

I curled a brow as I took the offered object. With an insistent look from the old dwarf, I unwrapped the blanket, revealing an orange glass-like orb. In the center of this orange sphere were five perfectly identical red stars, all aligned into an upside-down pentagon. To me, it looked like an oversized orange marble.

"What's this?" I asked out of curiosity.

"It's a family heirloom, one passed down from an old relative of mine," Validus explained, "I'd like for you to deliver this sphere to my nephew in the capital. This sphere as well as the blanket both belong to his side of the family… and I want him to have it before I get to the capital."

I hummed in understanding, though with a skeptical look. "Wouldn't it be better to give it in person? You could be giving him the wrong idea here."

"Ha! You're not wrong lad, but he knows I'm a tough dwarf," Validus chuckled, beating his chest with a fist, "I'll need to stay behind and oversee the remaining dwarves before we all depart for the capital as well. Plus… I have a hunch that the wyvern attack had something to do with this sphere, so it'd be best that it's not here in case of another attack."

"...?" That last part really didn't make any sense to me, but I wasn't going to start questioning things. I didn't really want to, and it's not like I'm against carrying this thing with me either. If I wanna think of this positively, then I guess I could consider this a side quest. "Well, alright, could you tell me where your nephew lives?"

"Ah, just head over to LEG. Say my name there and you'll be quickly guided to his home."

"... LEG?"

"Les Eternels Guild, currently the largest adventure guild on the continent."

Huh… even more lore about this world. And an adventure guild, no less… I sometimes forget that I'm living in an isekai. I guess that just had to do with my rather monotonous experiences so far… well, maybe except the most recent battle, but my point still stands. However, my life just might start getting a little bit more interesting if I reach this capital…

"Well, alright then," I said, wrapping the sphere back tightly and stuffing it into my travel bag. Right, I should mention that I was given some travel essentials, since I would be guarding this caravan. A travel bag, a new scarf and hat, and some arm & shin guards. Personally, I think it makes me look somewhat cool. If I had a sword on me, I could probably even pass as a knight… pfft, nah, no way. Shaking my head lightly, I gave Validus a small nod. "Thanks for all the help you've given so far, Validus."

"Hm, you're making this sound like our final goodbyes."

"You never know, man."

The old dwarf scoffed. "You doubt my strength, lad?"

"Nah, it's just that at this rate, I'm just making sure to not have any regrets or whatever."

"...Well then, I'd like to give you my thanks as well. Believe it or not, our production went slightly faster with your short time here."

This one made me chuckle a bit. I mean, I literally only worked here for like a day or so. "No problem, man. Cya around."

"Likewise."

Author's Note

Man, it's been a minute huh? I really wanted to upload around Thanksgiving break (last week of November) but family came over and I didn't get the time. Plus, first part of December has been nothing but preparing for finals and actually doing the finals. I'm just glad it's all over now.

Progression is a bit slow, but Sean is now done with both the goblins and dwarves. Well, sort of done with the dwarves, but we'll see once he goes to the capital of Magniton... the first ever civilization he's going to. Expect a lot of exploring! I also introduced an adventure guild called Les Eternels Guild, or LEG for short. Yeah, we're going to see the classic adventure guild trope coming around soon. Mark my word, Sean isn't leaving this city unless he enters the guild lol.

In any case, thanks for reading, and have a good day/night!