Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival [WN] - Chapter 166.4
We both looked up at the same time at the roar of the earth coming from outside.
“Where’s Ron and Chaco?”
“Up there. The kids were already in the hot air balloon basket. And Camille?
“I couldn’t find him. A beacon was lit from the other tower, I hope he saw it.”
“We noticed that too. Ron saw it and is getting ready to leave. It looks like the fire magic stone is still on the edge, though.”
“Then I have secured some. The situation is–“
“Yes, I know. A long-range projectile…probably Dragon’s Breath. I never thought something like that could really be out there…”
“…Let’s hurry.”
“Yes.”
Elena’s eyes were no longer as weak as before. Even so, I again realized that I want to protect her, even though she might be pushing herself too hard.
“Aria!”
“Aria-san.”
Ron and Chaco shouted when they saw me as I climbed to the upper floor of the tower. I tossed the magic stone from [Shadow Storage] to Ron and tapped Chaco on the shoulder, who looked pale.
“Where are the children?”
“Ah, yes, they are already in the basket…”
The hot air balloon basket was large enough for five or six adults, including equipment and food. The basket was already loaded with food that had been collected over the past month, and water would be no problem with Elena.
In the basket, Noi, the oldest, was holding Rana and Naru in her arms, looking frightened. Perhaps the dragon’s roar reached them even though they were far away. The dragon’s roar terrified the weak, and Chaco looked frightened too, but the blood had returned to her cheeks in relief as I touched the shoulder.
“Aria, where is Camille?”
“I haven’t found him. Will the beacon bring him back?”
“I don’t know. But… maybe the Demon Army won’t kill him.”
“I see…”
[Grrrooooaaaah!!!]
The earth rumbled again, and Chaco and the children screamed.
It must be very close by now. It would be hard to imagine that the Demon Army would miss this tower. If they were close enough, they would have noticed that it was occupied by people.
If they do, as I first feared, we would lose our means of escape from the desert, even if we escaped here.
“Hurry up and leave here! I’ll put heat in the balloon, Rena and Aria help me!”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Ron had already done the heating, but he tried to speed up the process by adding more heat with the magic stone I had given him. Elena and I pulled the ropes of the balloon, which was beginning to inflate, and spread it out to make it easier to inflate.
“How strong is this balloon?”
I asked a concern along the way, and Ron shook his head as he worked.
“The glue hasn’t completely dried in some spots yet. But it shouldn’t be a problem to fly for a few days. Rena should be on board soon, and Aria can take a look around and cut the ropes that hold it in place.”
“Okay.”
Elena looked back worriedly as she climbed into the balloon, and I cut the ropes to prevent the balloon from touching the inner walls as it began to float.
“Let’s take off! Get in, Aria!”
I cut the last rope and I hopped up and grabbed onto the edge of the basket.
Gradually, the ceiling collapsed away from the top floor, which had been the rooftop, and in the time it took to rise at a jittery, impatient pace, all of us still had a glimmer in our eyes, anxious and hopeful about leaving this town.
But–
The moment we passed through the crumbling outer wall, I noticed the Earth Dragon opening its jaws and pooling flames from within the Demon Army, which was a few hundred meters away, in my field of vision as I kept my hands on the edge and stared into its eyes.
“All of you, grab hold!!!!”
–Roar–!
“Kyaaaah!!!”
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Also check out my other novels: Reincarnated into a Game as the Hero’s Friend, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, and A Girl Who Was Told “You Have No Talent” Turned Out To Be A Talented Monster