Abandoned in the mountains, I was adopted by a lizard ~I mastered magic and surpassed my parents, but I didn't know they were legendary ancient dragons~ - Chapter 33

Chapter 33   Business Handover – 1

Several more days passed, spent solely on mock battles with the Metal Wolf under supergravity conditions. Finally, the day before the construction work was to resume arrived.

Consequently, my duties were set to begin today. In preparation for restarting construction, my task was to clear out the monsters that had settled around Ashgano Cape.

Since it was my first day on the job, the representatives of the previous team were to attend. Officially, it was for the purpose of handing over the duties. However, since my role involved nothing more than ensuring the workers’ safety while exterminating monsters, there wasn’t much for me to be briefed on. The previous team mainly wanted to assess my abilities.

Present today were the Deputy Commander of the Ashgano Knights and two S-rank adventurers. The previous safety management duties had been handled by the Ashgano Knights and a group of volunteer adventurers, which explained this mix.

The meeting point was near the spot where the receptionist had taken me on my first day in the Ashgano Peninsula. I left the inn and rode the Metal Wolf to the location. Although I arrived ten minutes early, the three were already there.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Floyd, the Deputy Commander of the Ashgano Knights. While someone else serves as the Commander due to their leadership skills, I am the best in combat within the Knights. Pleased to meet you.”

“I’m May, an S-rank adventurer. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Weather, also an S-rank adventurer.”

“I’m Hadar, the new safety manager.”

After the introductions were complete, Floyd continued.

“I’ve heard various rumors. They say you killed three Gigant Phoenixes in seconds. If true, that’s incredible strength… but the rumor is so unbelievable that I can’t fully trust it. I apologize for doubting you right off the bat, but as your predecessor, I’d like to see your skills for myself.”

After everyone introduced themselves, Floyd said this.

That rumor probably started with the receptionist… which means there’s a chance the monsters I defeated weren’t actually Gigant Phoenixes. The name might have just been a guess based on their appearance as flaming birds. Considering that, it’s understandable that my abilities might seem dubious.

Well, since those weren’t even a true test of my abilities, the fact that those birds might not have been Gigant Phoenixes doesn’t mean I couldn’t defeat one. Hopefully, I can show them a fight that will put their minds at ease.

As I was pondering this, Deputy Commander Floyd asked me a question.

“By the way, what’s that flashy wolf you’re riding?”

Floyd pointed at the Metal Wolf as he spoke.

“This is the Metal Wolf, a magical tool-based hunting dog. I use it for mock battles and as a means of transportation.”

“Metal Wolf? Never heard of it… Can a magical hunting dog really handle the monsters around here?”

Floyd tilted his head in confusion at my answer. The two S-rank adventurers also seemed unsure of what to make of it.

It seems the Metal Wolf isn’t a well-known magical tool. How should I explain this further?

As I pondered, I noticed a monster in the sky. A flaming bird was flying in from the direction of the Inferno Continent.

Seeing is believing… I might as well have the Metal Wolf take down that thing.

“Is that monster called a Gigant Phoenix?”

“…Yeah, that’s right. Wait, you didn’t know?”

“I’ve fought monsters like that before, but I haven’t matched the names to their appearances yet.”

As I explained, I dismounted from the Metal Wolf and sent it a signal using a magical wave.

Then…

“Howl!”

The Metal Wolf faced the Gigant Phoenix and let out a roar. Immediately, the Gigant Phoenix exploded mid-air.

“W-What!?”

Floyd and the two adventurers stood with their mouths agape, eyes fixed on the explosion.

“W-What was that?”

“An ultrasonic weapon.”

The Metal Wolf can emit high-energy ultrasonic waves through its howl. The Gigant Phoenix was hit by the sound energy and exploded.

By the way, the howl being audible to us is because the Metal Wolf also emits a small amount of sound within the audible range, making it clear when it’s attacking.

“What was that? That’s beyond just being strong…”

“Seriously, with this wolf around, do we even need anything else?”

Floyd and May muttered, their eyes still fixed on the explosion site.

Well, it’s not quite that powerful. The Metal Wolf’s abilities are limited by the strength of the magic stone it’s made from. It can handle monsters slightly stronger than the one the stone came from, but that’s about it.

Of course, if it were made with a stone from a stronger monster, it would be different, but I’d still have to take down that monster first. While the Metal Wolf can prove it’s not useless, relying solely on it would be unrealistic.

“I understand now that your power is beyond the norm. When I heard that all the work that a hundred knights and dozens of adventurers couldn’t handle was being assigned to one person, I thought the head of Bamboo Inside Construction had lost his mind. But it seems he made a sound decision.”

Floyd, having regained his composure, nodded repeatedly as he spoke.

“Still, since we’re here, I’d like to see you fight other monsters.”

With that request, we decided to head to the tip of the peninsula.

After walking for a while, we encountered a different type of monster—an enormous turtle the size of a house.

“A Rush Turtle… another troublesome monster,” Weather, one of the S-rank adventurers, muttered.

“How do we defeat it?”

“Let’s see…”

I cast a diagnostic spell and discovered that its legs were extraordinarily developed. Judging by the development, it seemed to fight by using its heavy shell as a shield while charging.

In that case, the easiest method is to turn its strength against it. I used wind magic to produce a sound that would irritate the turtle (apparently called a Rush Turtle). It noticed us and charged.

“We’re in trouble! It’s noticed us!” Floyd said, panicking.

But there was no need to worry. This was intentional.

I deployed several physical barriers, shaping them like an anti-climb guard. The Rush Turtle charged right into them and flipped onto its back along the barriers.

“…Wait, did it stop!?”

Floyd, the deputy leader, looked bewildered as he observed the scene.

“It’s okay to finish it off, right?”

“Uh, yeah…”

With the turtle now flipped over and its soft underbelly exposed, I plunged my orichalcum-adamantite alloy sword into it. Without much effort, the sword’s weight alone drove it deep into the turtle’s heart.

“How about that?”

“Seriously…? You used its charge against it…”

When I asked for his opinion, Floyd muttered in astonishment.

“Yeah, flipping it over reveals its weak spot easily.”

“Usually, flipping it over is a huge challenge. I’ve never seen a barrier that could withstand a Rush Turtle’s charge before…”

Huh. I intended to show that I could tailor my strategy to suit the opponent, but their reaction was different from what I expected. Oh well.

Actually, this one-on-one approach with each monster seems inefficient. From my scanning magic, there don’t appear to be any monsters on the peninsula that could survive a single dragon flash attack today.

Maybe I should just wipe them all out in one go and wrap up today’s work quickly.