Taming The Villainesses novel Chapter 419

I hid my wives behind me and unfolded a mana shield.

One sturdy enough to completely block the cave entrance. Unless it was something on the level of a heavy cannon, there was no way this multi-layered, reinforced shield would be penetrated.

“......”

Even so, it was impossible to suppress the tension. The noblewomen all looked visibly dazed and overwhelmed by the situation.

But I—raised in the 21st century—knew very well just how tense and dangerous the sound of gunfire could be. _{freewebnoveℓ.com}

BANG—━!!!

Another shot rang out. At the same time, Narmee let out a small cry.

“One of my Snow Narmees disappeared again...!”

With that, I was sure.

Someone outside the cave was shooting. And as far as I knew, guns were weapons that could take a human life with a projectile no bigger than a fingernail.

Could I really handle that?

I didn’t think even a bullet could break through my mana shield, which was now approaching tier 8. But even so, I couldn’t help but worry.

Rustle, rustle.

At last, I began to hear multiple footsteps moving around the cave entrance. I pointed my hand toward the entrance, fully prepared to respond at any moment.

Bael.

Get ready to unleash full power from the start—prepare the spell.

━ Hioooong...!

With Bael’s help, I could cast high-level magic without chanting. Mana swelled within me, surging through my body.

That was when—something peeked its head in front of the cave.

Shk.

At that shadow, I fired off the tier-6 grand spell Zzzap-Zzzap. Lightning burst from my fingers, firing at light-speed and striking the silhouette.

Crackle—!

A surge of electricity crackled through the cave, sharp enough to make hair stand on end.

“Uwoaaaaah—!”

A strange scream rang out. At the same time, I heard multiple people yelling in alarm:

━ Something just shot Roan!

━ There’s something inside the cave!

━ Everyone, be careful!

Taking advantage of the confusion, I raised my voice.

“I don’t know who you are, but if you come into this cave, you better be ready for the consequences!”

I wanted to growl fiercely, but coming from a half-fairy, my voice might’ve sounded a little silly. I worried whether the threat was convincing enough—but then...

━ Didn’t you hear a person’s voice just now?

━ I heard it too.

━ Sounded like a boy’s voice. Probably a kid.

━ Idiot, like a kid would be out here alone in the Freefolk Lands? It’s a mimic—some monster mimicking a human voice. They’re everywhere in this forest. Like a Jangsankat or something.

━ It’s a trick! That weird snowman monster and whoever’s with it are all on the same side!

The murmuring spread. Wondering if communication was possible, I called out to them:

“Who are you? If you don’t intend to harm us, then show yourselves! If this can be resolved through dialogue, there’s no need for bloodshed!”

I’d already gotten a general read on their capabilities. Even if they really were armed with guns, they likely couldn’t hurt me. I could just walk out there and neutralize them right now if I wanted.

But you never know what unpredictable variables may arise.

Besides, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this. With the Church possibly sending pursuers after us, leaving behind noisy, obvious traces would just be plain stupid.

That’s when—

━ Is there really a person inside that cave?

“Yes, there is.”

━ Huh. That’s weird. Definitely sounds like a human voice... but there’s no way a little kid would be out here alone in the Freefolk Lands...

I could feel the wariness in their voices soften. My youthful half-fairy voice must have thrown them off. It wasn’t strange they mistook me for a child. Then a man with a concerned tone asked:

━ Multiply 6 by 6.

“Thirty-six?”

━ Ah, so you are human. Monsters can’t do multiplication. Alright, I’ll show myself for a moment, so don’t shoot any more of that weird lightning.

Shk.

At last, someone stepped into view with both hands raised. His outfit was odd, but unmistakably human.

He was wearing a puffer jacket.

His face was covered with fur and a scarf, so I couldn’t make out any details.

He pointed something toward me and clicked it—emitting a beam of light. A lantern? Flashlight? Whatever it was, my head began to spin a little.

The man spoke.

“One young boy and a bunch of women, huh. I’m dying of curiosity, so I gotta ask—who the hell are you people?”

I was just as curious.

“Who are you?”

***

There were about eight of them in total. A mix of men and women. What they all had in common was that they looked sturdy and nimble.

“We’re a scouting party. Never thought we’d meet people in a place like this. You folks come from the south?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded and observed their equipment. They carried swords and knives, but what really drew my eye were the weapons in a few of their hands.

I asked,

“Where did you get those?”

“Oh, this? Figures folks from the south haven’t seen these. It’s a weapon. Shoots little metal balls. I can’t really explain how it works... You’ll see it yourself eventually.”