The maid displayed remarkable bravery, considering her lack of power on the battlefield. Gathering a handful of salt, she flung it towards an average slug monster that was attacking. These monsters were inherently slow, with long intervals between their attacks.

Kiryin and everyone else had already noticed this pattern, allowing them to roughly estimate when the slug monsters would launch their slimy assaults. They made plans accordingly, as the creatures' only method of attack was the secretion of mucus and the potential consumption of a person, a process that took considerable time and allowed for easy escape. It was their defensive capabilities that caused fear among the men when the creatures initiated an attack.

Throughout his time in prison, Kiryin had observed this behavior and had adopted a "wait and watch" approach upon encountering the monsters. However, witnessing the death of a man and the subsequent mucus attack almost made him reconsider.

"What in the world are you doing, woman?" a voice shouted.

"Woman, run!" various knights and wizards cried out simultaneously.

As the first grains of salt struck the slug's body amidst the attacks of the wizards and knights, an astonishing phenomenon occurred. The slug's body rapidly shriveled, and within moments, it retreated entirely into its shell.

Soon after, the motionless shell tumbled to the ground, face first. The woman who had bravely thrown the handful of salt reveled in the sight of this astonishing outcome.

"Woman, what did you do?" someone inquired.

"What just happened?" another asked.

"I... I poured salt on them. You should do the same. It's their weakness," the woman finally found her words, taking a significant gamble by risking an encounter with the monsters and attempting the use of salt.

"Salt? Are you certain?" someone questioned.

The woman did not respond to the nearby knight's query but swiftly made her way to another slug monster. Lacking sufficient intelligence, these slug monsters were unprepared for the woman's "salt attack." Just like the previous creature, this one also shriveled rapidly.

Witnessing this, the knights and wizards exchanged glances before hastening toward the last wagon attached to the cell. Kiryin observed as men entered and exited with sacks of salt of average size.

They commenced the same process as the woman had done before, throwing salt at the monsters as if it were some kind of holy water. Within minutes, the once-menacing creatures that had plagued the caravan were dealt with.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It was nothing short of a miracle. One moment they were engaged in a battle, and the next moment they had emerged victorious without any significant struggle. Only a larger monster, evidently the leader of the group, required slightly more effort to be brought down.

These slugs seemed to possess a rudimentary hive mind, following the lead of another member of their kind. The scarred leader who was battling the huge slug, had to throw salt three times for it to shrivel and the shell to drop down on the ground.

"Hurray!"

"This is a miracle."

"We did it. I'm fine... But... Calipher... He's gone."

Mixed emotions filled the air within the caravan. While most rejoiced, there were tears in the eyes of those who had lost their companions. The scarred leader surveyed the scene and raised his voice.

"Everyone, today we will take a break and not move forward. Gather around and set up the tents. If any monsters are still alive inside their shells, finish them off and collect the shells to sell in the market. They will fetch a good price."

Cheers erupted from the group. They were exhausted from battling the monsters and desperately needed rest. After giving orders to his men, the scarred leader stepped forward and bowed to the woman.

"Thank you for helping us defeat the monsters. It wouldn't have been easy without your valuable knowledge of their weakness to salt."

Blushing profusely, the woman shook her head in denial and said, "It wasn't me who knew about their weakness. It was the prisoner who provided that knowledge."

"What?"

"Impossible."

"Yes, I cannot take credit for something I didn't do. It was the prisoner who mentioned that the monsters might be vulnerable to salt. That's why the Glimmershell Escargots avoid food supplies and attack humans, as all food contains salt."

The scarred leader and everyone else who heard her words were taken aback. The scarred leader locked eyes with the maid who had spoken and didn't expect her to elevate another person, especially a prisoner, to such a position.

She could have claimed the idea as her own, taking credit for throwing salt at the monsters, but she chose not to. The scarred leader nodded and walked towards the prison cell, which had been locked once again. Kiryin made no attempt to force his way out and remained in his spot. The other maids had already emerged, and he was locked in again.

The scarred leader requested the keys and unlocked the cell. Kiryin observed and listened to all of this, sighing in relief. He didn't anticipate the maid being so honest. He had expected her to be selfish and enjoy whatever benefits came their way, perhaps sharing them with the other maids.

"How did you know about their weakness to salt?" the scarred leader asked.

"I'm not entirely certain if they are indeed weak against salt. In my hometown, we have small slugs that tend to feed on plants. They are vulnerable to salt. These monsters resembled them, so I thought they might have the same weakness," Kiryin replied truthfully. His hometown was inaccessible anyway, so he could share whatever he wished.

"Where is your home?" the scarred leader inquired.

"I don't know. As I've already told you, I have no recollection of how I ended up here. My hometown is called Angkor."

"Angkor... That's certainly a foreign name. How did you end up here?" the scarred leader asked.

"I don't know.. I was going through some ruins which was close to my home, and got lost. As I was trying to escape the ruins, I passed through a room and the next thing I knew I was in the forest."