As soon as the old knight gave the order, they fired into the darkness.
Ian went on waiting, doing nothing.
The arrows collided with the manticore, and he peered into the darkness and saw how they broke apart. He reported this to Elder at once, and the old knight was greatly disappointed, and Dietrich asked what they should do now. They needed to attack it again.
Laughter rang out. The manticore came out of the darkness, and Ian felt a chill run down his spine.
The knights rushed to gather up the arrows, and Ian thought that the manticore was right in front of them. There was no time to apply the poison again.
Realising that he had no choice, he clenched his hand into a fist, then called out loudly to the manticore and stepped forward.
So this one actually decided to do it, the old woman said.
The manticore grinned contentedly. Just think — he spoke to this one. He is an unusual person.
Ian was a little nervous. He pulled himself together and said that he was glad it understood him. As soon as he said his name, the manticore ordered him to get out of here.
The beast laughed and called him a stupid person, swearing all sorts of things at him, and he asked in bewilderment what the hell that was.
The manticore smiled and said that this was better. Stop pretending. If he wanted something, then let him say it directly.
Ian answered it directly. They wanted this one's scalp.
The manticore laughed loudly and said that he was honest. It liked him. So why didn't he team up with it and tear these people to pieces?
Ian was shocked at such an offer, and the beast said that it savoured their flesh, and that he would get all the riches and women he desired. And when he had had his fill of them, it would kill them.
Imagining this, the manticore licked its lips and laughed.
After that Ian spat at its feet and said that it was so disgusting he could not even listen to it. He showed the beast his middle finger and insulted it in various ways, which surprised the knights, to put it mildly.
The manticore said that this was even better — and then it leapt at him.
"That is exactly why you deserve to be killed!"
Monty immediately stretched her hand out in front of her and commanded the plants to grow. Then she stamped her foot, and huge stems came up out of the ground and rushed towards the manticore. It turned out that they grew in the shape of a wall, protecting her, Ian and Elder from the manticore — and trapping the knights inside with it.
Elder immediately called out to the old woman, asking what the hell she had done.
"Is he blind?" she asked in displeasure. She had shut the manticore in.
He screamed. Had she shut it in along with the knights who were standing nearby?
She did not want to admit her mistake and got angry, saying that they were not children, so they would think of something. The most important thing now was to kill the manticore.
Screams were heard behind the wall of plants. Elder became very worried and ran at once to his knights, and the mages rushed after him.
Finally they ran around the wall. Fortunately, all the knights were unhurt except Dietrich. He was very badly injured, but they had already managed to give him first aid.
Seeing his leader, Dietrich winced in pain and apologised to him. He had lost the manticore.
He did not care about that now. He lifted him up and hugged him tightly.
Ian was uneasy at the sight. They had all tried their best. He would never have thought that he would watch someone die, and that it would be Dietrich.
Now he truly understood the world he was in, a world where monsters and wars are commonplace. Death, which he had known only from books, had now become a reality for him.
He walked confidently over to Dietrich, took his hand, and said that when he had taught him from the Bible, he had said that if you believe with all your heart and pray, the heavens will open.
Dietrich shed a tear and confirmed it with a bitter smile.
And then Ian invited him to pray with him.
A bright light began to come from his hand. He turned to the highest heavens and asked, "Are you watching? Your most devoted follower is dying. Will you do nothing?"
A voice answered him that his heavens were right here. If that was what he wanted, they would try.
After that a bright flash lit up the entire clearing. His hands glowed with divine light.
Meanwhile, Dietrich found himself in heaven. The goddess told him to wake up. She extended her hand to him, and he stared at it in surprise, not believing his eyes.
She said that she was so glad to see him, and he immediately bowed to her. So this is heaven. His hands trembled with the realisation that he had died after all.
But the goddess said that he still had things to do. He looked up at her worriedly, and she placed her hand on his head and told him to carry on her will — to help the weak and grant them happiness, and to help her apostle Ian. This was her wish.
Immediately after this, Dietrich's eyes suddenly opened.
He saw his worried comrades above him and rose slowly, asking in confusion where he was.
Ian came over with a smile and asked what it was like to return from the other world.
Seeing him, the knight rushed to him in tears and grabbed his hand, saying that he had saved him because that great being told him to.
Ian did not know what to say, and smiled awkwardly. He had been able to use holy arts because the goddess lent him her power, so the man was not so wrong.
He asked how he knew about this. The goddess really had said that he should save him, because he still had much to do.
The man remembered how the goddess had said the same thing to him, and this delighted him even more. He immediately bowed before the great apostle, which made Ian proudly raise his head and let out a smug chuckle.
Ian had of course saved him with magic, Elder said, but calling him an apostle was a bit much. Perhaps he had only imagined it. They would observe for now.
Everything had ended well. Monty noted that they were too cheerful for people who had just been on the brink of death, and Elder agreed with her. He suggested that they go after the manticore again, to which they enthusiastically agreed. Their fighting spirit had increased significantly.
Ian decided to send Oberon out on reconnaissance. Elder asked whether he would be all right; he could get into trouble.
The raven took off, and Ian answered that everything would be fine. Then he remembered how the monster had licked its lips.
"The raven is no slouch. We need to teach this beast a lesson properly."
Meanwhile, the manticore had already reached the city, smashing everything in sight and hunting people. They began to run in panic.
Among them were a young man and his father. The old man stumbled. His son turned back to him and was horrified. The manticore was very close, and it had already fixed on his father.
Having no choice, he took up a pitchfork and rushed to his defence, ordering the monster to get out of this city.
Even though he was trembling with fear, he stood up to this huge beast.
The manticore laughed and asked whether this man was his father.
The boy was surprised that the monster could speak a human language.
And then the manticore made him an offer. Let him kill his father and bring him to it. If he did that, it would spare the others.