I’d assumed a clash with the Tilaza chasing the mohawk group was inevitable, but as it turned out, that wasn’t quite the case. Despite the fact that the group was carrying an unconscious man and should have been moving much slower, there was no sign of the beast catching up to them.
Halfa and the others chatted idly as they watched the scene unfold.
“It’s incredibly slow, isn’t it?”
“It looks like they’ll be able to escape without any trouble.”
『Indeed. Sturdiness is its only redeeming quality; its movement speed is pitifully low,』 Garna added.
I see. That explained why the locals didn't seem particularly bothered by its presence despite it being a dangerous beast. Since the Tilaza moved like a snail, you could easily outpace it just by running at a normal pace.
“So, what’s the plan?” Lowell asked. “We can still make a clean break for it if we want.”
“Yeah, well. If we don’t actually have to fight it—”
I was cut short by a sudden mishap. One of the men leading the mohawk group tripped over his own feet, and in the process, he took down the rest of his crew. Since they were now lying in a tangled heap of limbs, it looked like it would take them a fair amount of time to scramble back up. As slow as the Tilaza was, it would surely catch them if they stayed like that.
“Let’s help them!”
Everyone nodded at my command. If it were an opponent beyond our league, that would be one thing, but we could certainly handle a B-Rank threat. Besides, my party wasn't the type to sit on their hands when lives were at stake.
“We’re moving in!” I shouted.
I called out to the pile of mohawks, and one of them shot me a wide grin. “Seriously? You’re a life-saver!”
Despite his rugged appearance, he seemed to have a surprisingly cheerful personality. Regardless, I had their consent, so there was no need to hold back.
Halfa opened with a preemptive Shock Voice. Using the Orichalcum Loudspeaker would have caused too much collateral damage to the surrounding area, so she stuck to the standard version.
“Giegyaaaah!”
The Tilaza let out an irritated roar. The attack clearly dealt some damage, but its stride didn't falter. It was every bit as tough as advertised.
Spira tried to restrain it with her Ice Vines, but stopping its momentum entirely proved difficult. Despite its sluggishness, the beast possessed immense strength, allowing it to plow forward while snapping the frozen vines like twigs.
Lowell’s slashes were effective, but even though he was using the 【Blade Through】 skill, the wounds were shallow. To actually finish the Tilaza off with a blade, he’d likely have to hack at it dozens of times.
However, his attacks were primarily a distraction. True to his intent, the Tilaza’s focus shifted from the mohawk group to Lowell. That was enough to ensure the adventurers were out of immediate danger.
The situation stayed in a bit of a stalemate for a few moments, but I had already made my move.
『Hm. Its movements are becoming even more sluggish. Did the runts do something?』 Garna asked.
Just as she noticed, the Tilaza’s behavior changed. Its pace, which hadn't been fast to begin with, became even heavier and more labored.
『It’s Allen and the others’ time to shine!』 Shiroru called out.
“Exactly.”
Actually, the moment Spira’s Ice Vines had dampened its initial charge, I’d secretly dispatched Allen and the rest of the Petit Golems in their Petit Body forms. They had crept up on the Tilaza without being noticed and cast Dehydrate—a dehydration spell. It was the perfect magic for an opponent with such a thick hide. Because the creature was so massive, the spell took some time to manifest, but we made up for that with sheer numbers. With all four golems focusing their magic, the effect finally became visible.
From there, the end came quickly. The Tilaza’s footing became unsteady, and it could no longer muster the strength to break free from Spira’s restraints. Its consciousness seemed to fade as it lost the ability to stand, eventually collapsing onto its side. It stopped moving entirely.
“Did we get it?” Halfa asked, tilting her head.
I found myself mimicking her pose. In a dungeon, it was easy to tell when a fight was over because the monster would vanish and leave behind a drop item, but judging these things in the outside world was much harder. I was worried that if we approached thinking it was dead, it might suddenly lunge at us.
“Piko?”
“Piko!”
Allen and the others, who had been maintaining the magic, seemed to deem the subjugation a success. They nodded to each other, deactivated their spells, and hopped back toward me. I thanked them all before letting them tuck themselves back into my pockets to wait.
“You guys are amazing! Thanks for the help!”
One of the men from the mohawk group called out—the same one who had answered me earlier. He appeared to be their leader.
“You’re very welcome. But why on earth did you try to take that thing on? It’s dangerous.”
“Agh, I’m ashamed to say it. Tilaza Meat is a delicacy that sells for a fortune. We knew it was a tough customer, but we really thought we could handle it...”
The Mohawk Leader had clearly overestimated his team's strength. While that wasn't exactly a trait to be praised, he seemed to be genuinely reflecting on the trouble they’d caused. The rest of his group joined in with apologies as well. They really were quite polite, appearances notwithstanding.
Setting that aside, however, he had said something rather interesting.
『Hey, did you hear that, Tort? He said it’s a delicacy! That means it’s delicious, right?』
It wasn't just me; Shiroru hadn't let the comment slip by, either. That was the most important takeaway, after all. If the meat was that good, I definitely wanted a taste. Since we were essentially the ones who had defeated this Tilaza, the rights to the carcass should belong to us.
I was just about to negotiate with the Mohawk Leader when an unexpected voice called out to me.
“You lot are surprisingly strong! Tilaza is indeed delicious. If you’re willing to share some, I’ll treat you to an exquisite meal.”
“Really? Wait—where did you come from?!”
The person who had spoken was Beere-san, who was supposed to have run away. He must have doubled back once he saw we had the situation under control, but he was incredibly fast.