Poor Noble Nord’s Adventure

50. Escape

“We’re running for it!”

Nord shouted. Now that their presence was exposed, there was no point in maintaining secrecy. They had to leave this place as quickly—no, as instantly—as possible.

The moment Nord broke into a sprint, Newt leapt into the air with swift precision.

And that was when it happened.

“GUAAAAAAA!!”

The roar of a monster reverberated through the night forest.

The deafening sound rippled through the air, hitting Nord and the others like a physical blow.

It wasn’t just heard—it was felt, resonating in their very bodies. What emotion lay behind that roar?

Was it anger for the slain underlings? Or a vengeful desire for retribution?

Perhaps it was simply the insatiable hunger to capture them.

Whatever the reason, the empress spider, Arachne, let out a roar that served as a command to her swarm.

The spiders within the palace obeyed, leaping up to the cliff in pursuit of the intruders.

A tide of pursuing spiders poured into the forest, one after another.

Their black fur, dull and gleaming under the moonlight, melded seamlessly into the forest shadows.

Only their crimson eyes reflected the moon’s glow, glittering eerily as they flooded the Alba Forest like a torrent.

§

In the forest, Nord was desperately running.

The sound of clanking armor echoed as he sprinted without looking to the sides.

He ran to escape, faster and farther, even by a little.

“Kyuu!!”

A warning cry came from Newt, who was flying alongside him.

Nord responded immediately to the sound, drawing his sword as he ran.

A smaller knight spider leaped from slightly above and behind, but the jade steel blade of Jedrite cut it down.

The knight spider, killed in one strike, twitched as it crashed to the ground, scattering fallen leaves like a spray.

Its body tumbled across the forest floor, slowing down with each impact until it stopped—only to be crushed mercilessly by the advancing spiders behind it.

──Zzzzzazazazazazazaza!

The swarm of spiders pressed on relentlessly, their marching like a torrent.

The remains of the crushed spider were trampled repeatedly, broken to pieces, and reduced to nothing, merging into the soil of the forest.

“Damn it! I can’t shake them off at all!”

Nord cursed as he glanced back briefly.

The spiders’ eerie crimson eyes glinted under the moonlight, consuming the forest he had fled through.

He couldn’t even estimate their numbers; the sheer mass was overwhelming.

They jostled and climbed over each other, rushing to be the first to catch Nord.

It was like water surging from a broken dam, an unending force growing stronger as it approached him.

It wasn’t just from behind.

“Kyui!”

“!?”

Another warning came from Newt.

Following the guidance, Nord swung his sword again.

This time, a knight spider lunged from slightly ahead, at an angle.

Once again, the jade blade struck true, slashing the spider, whose corpse fell to the ground.

It met the same fate as the previous one—crushed underfoot by the advancing swarm.

“Ugh…!”

“Kyuu!?”

But this time, Nord’s balance faltered as he ran through the forest.

Unlike before, dodging the body of the spider that had attacked from the front threw off his movement.

He nearly tripped, prompting a worried cry from Newt.

“I-I’m fine! Don’t worry about me!”

Nord steadied himself and called out to reassure Newt.

He resumed his sprint, but there was no trace of confidence in his expression under the helmet.

(This is bad… That stumble closed the distance even more.)

Sweat from his growing anxiety trickled down his back.

The spider swarm wasn’t just coming from the palace built beneath the cliff; they were gathering from the entire forest.

They weren’t only behind him—spiders occasionally appeared at his sides, and even ahead of him.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they caught up.

(If only I could lose them, even temporarily!)

Nord scanned the forest while running, desperately seeking something he could use.

Whether it was the terrain, tools, or even other monsters, anything that could divert the spiders’ attention, even briefly, would suffice.

If not,

(At this rate… it’ll be like leading the spiders straight to Alba Village!)

Bringing the spider army out of the forest and toward Alba Village was a certainty if he couldn’t shake them off.

Dealing with the knight spiders or general spiders was one thing, but the empress spider, Arachne, was far beyond Nord’s ability to handle.

Resolving this situation required outside help, but to get that help, he had to return to Alba Village. Yet, leading the spider army there would be a disaster.

(There must be something—anything!)

Fallen trees, uneven terrain, streams, weather, equipment.

Nord’s mind raced as he ran, searching for a way to escape the relentless pursuit.

(Should I use a smokescreen? It hasn’t rained recently, so the wood should be dry enough… No, there’s no time for that. Then what about blocking a narrow path with their bodies to stop the swarm?)

(There’s no suitable spot. That’s out. What else… What else…?)

He considered every idea that came to mind, but none seemed feasible under the current circumstances.

The forest’s terrain, limited resources, and above all, the sheer number of spiders pursuing him, created insurmountable obstacles.

Eventually, Nord ran out of ideas, leaving him with a growing sense of despair.

(Am I really going to fail to deliver this information, only to be swallowed by the spider swarm?)

(And after consuming every living thing in the forest, will the spiders flood out to attack Alba Village unchecked?)

Such dark thoughts began to creep into Nord’s mind.

(…No. That’s not how this ends.)

Slashing down another leaping spider, Nord shook off his defeatist thoughts.

(There is one way to save Alba Village…)

He turned to his companion.

Beside him flew Newt, its green scales gleaming as it beat its wings to keep pace.

(That tiny creature from a year ago has grown so much…)

The sight triggered an oddly nostalgic thought in Nord’s mind.

A year ago, during their return from Wyvern Mountain, Newt had hatched from its egg, leaving Nord unsure of what to do.

The tiny hatchling had been small enough to fit in his arms as it slept peacefully, unaware of his worries.

Since then, it had grown rapidly, surpassing Nord in size.

Its green scales thickened and took on a lustrous sheen, while its wings became strong enough to soar freely through the skies.

Recently, it had even become capable of carrying a child on its back.

“Newt, I need you to do this.”

“Kyuu?”

At Nord’s sudden call, Newt responded curiously.

Nord took the adventurer’s guild identification tag from his neck and placed it on Newt’s long neck.

The crystal tag clinked softly as it settled against the chain.

Nord then tied a torn page from his notebook to the chain—a page describing Arachne and her swarm, along with a written plea for evacuation and reinforcements.

“Newt, take this to Alba Village.”

“Kyuu?”

“I’ll stay here to hold them off.”

“Kyuu! Kyui!?”

“If I don’t, we’re done for. Please, understand.”

Newt cried out in distress, seemingly grasping Nord’s intent.

Nord spoke again, his tone firm.

“Deliver this to my brother in Alba Village. Got it!?”

“Kyuu!? Kyui!?”

“If we continue like this, the spiders will follow us straight to Alba Village. Don’t worry. Once you’ve delivered the message and bought enough time, I’ll escape too.”

“Kyuu… Kyui…”

Nord patiently reassured the reluctant Newt, urging it to listen.

“You’re my only hope, Newt. If I’m to survive, I need you to call for help.”

“…Kyui!”

Newt hesitated but eventually nodded, emitting a determined cry.

Nord exhaled in relief at the response.

(I’m counting on you, Newt.)

“Go!” Nord commanded, raising his hand.

“…Kyui!”

With a powerful flap of its wings, Newt soared into the sky, quickly rising above the forest canopy.

It glanced back at Nord briefly, but a hand signal from him urged it to fly faster.

Soon, Newt’s figure disappeared from Nord’s sight, flying far faster than any human or horse could travel.

“Kshaaa!!”

Noticing Newt’s departure, some spiders shifted direction, attempting to follow.

Though they would never catch up to the flying dragon, their pursuit was troubling—Alba Village lay ahead.

Just as part of the spider swarm began to branch off to chase Newt,

“Ignis, flame burst!”

Nord’s chant unleashed a massive fireball, erupting in the path of the advancing spiders.

“Kshaa!?”

“Oh no, you don’t. Your fight is with me.”

A blazing column of fire consumed several knight spiders at once.

Under the fiery glow, the crimson eyes of the remaining spiders reflected Nord’s figure as he gripped his red gemstone dagger.