Episode 32: Preparing for Departure
“Tell me if you remember anything else. Conversely, tell me about when you fought the Black Ants. How long ago was that?”
“About three years ago. It seems like it was a swarm of about six thousand.”
“Six thousand?! Isn’t Sunrakka Village supposed to be a village of about five hundred people? It really is an outrageous village.”
“About two hundred people did a mountain sweep all at once. Each hunter and their relatives had a quota of one hundred bodies.”
That time was tough. Because we were competing for prey. At first, it was good because they were clustered together, but when I noticed, the Black Ants outside were almost annihilated, and I rushed into the nest.
“…You hunted a hundred? You were eight years old then, right?”
“No, I didn’t reach that. After it was over, as punishment, I had to do more dismantling than others.”
I was stuffing them into the Magic Bag that Grandma gave me after defeating them, but when I finally counted, there were only ninety-two. I still remember being laughed at terribly by Dad and Aniki and getting angry.
“I, I see. Well, that’s fine. So, I want to ask, how strong do you think Ore can fight?”
“Ah, to be blunt, I think you should stick to the soldier class. You can probably win against warrior class opponents without any problems, but the warrior class is tough, so it’ll be hard.”
“…I can’t tell them apart, can I?”
“You can tell if you concentrate and look at their Magical Power. It’s faster to judge by the feeling of hitting them. Also, the ones spitting Formic Acid are definitely warrior class or higher. The soldier class doesn’t spit Formic Acid.”
I wonder if that’s about it for how to tell them apart.
“Magical Power perception, huh? It’s not that I can’t do it, but it’s tough for a long time while fighting.”
“If it’s before a melee, you can narrow it down to some extent. I told Young Lady, but the best is a blow from behind. I think it’s best to fight in groups, dividing into those who restrain and those who finish them off.”
“Yeah. Fortunately, I have an acquaintance who seems like they can team up with me on the same team, so I’ll act with them and a few others.”
I was registered, but I hardly did any Adventurer activities, so I didn’t have any acquaintances. I also looked to see if Kalinka-san or any of my classmates’ guards were there, but there wasn’t a single one.
“You’re lucky. Also, be careful of Formic Acid. They raise their heads slightly before spitting it out, so that’s the signal. If Formic Acid is about to be spat out at the moment you cut from behind, it will splatter from the neck, so it’s dangerous, okay?”
Some people had their hair melted and it was funny.
“Seriously… but I’m glad I heard that.”
“It doesn’t fly very far, and it’s not that much in quantity since it’s vomit. The dissolving power isn’t that strong either. But it stings if it gets on you, and it’ll dissolve cloth clothes. This Knight Uniform probably can’t withstand it either.”
Aniki got scolded by Mom for ruining the sleeve of his clothes.
“Was it about half a bucket’s worth with a range of about three meters? It comes out of the mouth, so if you’re in front of it, dodge to the right or left. You can block it with a shield, but cheap wooden shields can’t withstand many shots.”
“You can block it with a shield?”
“Monster material shields and metal shields can withstand quite a bit. It seems Formic Acid isn’t originally a means of attack.”
“I see. But shields are bulky.”
“Even in the village, the only people who use them use buckler sizes. That person would stick it out in front of them at the timing when the opponent was about to fire and block everything.”
And then they would punch them.
“I see. I understand for now.”
“Also, don’t cut off their antennae. If you cut those off, they’ll rampage regardless of friend or foe.”
“Is that really true? But wouldn’t that provoke infighting?”
“You won’t know where they’re going. It would be nice if they went to the same Black Ant, but you can’t control that.”
It’s easier to fight if they move in a somewhat orderly manner.
“Their weak points are each of their joints. The neck is still the best target. There’s a Magic Core in the center of their abdomen, but it’s in a slightly low position and surrounded by hard Carapace, so it’s hard to aim for. Even if you cut off their butt side, they’ll keep moving, so be careful.”
Back then, it was an easy height to aim for, so I would attack their abdomen and destroy the Magic Stone. I stopped because I was told it was a waste.
“That’s about it in terms of combat. Also, you don’t know how the nest is spreading, so you need to be careful of the ground.”
“They come out of the ground too!?”
“No, there are times when we step through it.”
For the Black Ants, the nest is their home. They don’t do things like destroy the ceiling or walls of their home and come outside. But there are times when the shallow part of the nest is close to the ground.
“If humans wearing armor pass through there many times or repeat battles on top of it, holes will open up.”
“Stepping through means that, huh? I don’t want to fall into the nest.”
“Well, I don’t think it’ll collapse suddenly, but it’s better to not approach places where there are cracks or large fissures.”
“I don’t know if I’ll notice during battle, but well, we probably won’t get that close to the nest.”
“It’s a mountain range, so I think it’ll probably be okay, but I can’t say for sure.”
That’s about it for the points to note.
After finishing the conversation, I spread out the things in the warehouse and took out what seemed useful and inspected them. I was originally joining from the village, so I had a backpack and prepared a sleeping bag and changes of clothes in it.
It’s quite a large load, even if it’s just for show.
“You’re in charge of making Dried Meat, and you’re in charge of Dried Fruit. You, remake this Knight Uniform with Military Uniform fabric, and use ready-made Magic Cores.”
It should be among the supplies that Lieutenant General prepared.
“I’m going to carry a backpack, so I need to fix the belt too.”
I used to attach the Nata to my waist, but it seems easier to walk if I hang it on the side of the backpack when moving.
I’ll have the Support Drone with clothing-related functions installed measure the dimensions. The backpack is the one Grandma made for me, so it’s fine as it is, but I’ll attach a Transmitter just in case.
“Fruno, make the Dried Fruit with whatever types you want. What kind of meat should I use for the Dried Meat? What’s delicious… it has to be a monster from this planet, right?”
Considering what might happen if people find out, it’s better to use the meat of a monster that can be easily caught here.
“Ah, should I use Muscle Deer?”
They’re popular monsters because they’re big, so you can get a lot of meat, and their horns sell for a high price. They’re also good for winter preserved food, and above all, I’m used to eating them. It’s delicious to lightly grill and eat.
“But if I’m going to bring meat, I want a wire mesh. I should also prepare iron skewers… in that case, charcoal too. Well, it’s okay to skewer and grill over a bonfire, but it’s more delicious with a wire mesh. I should have it just in case. I can solidify the soil with magic to make a stove.”
At worst, I can keep lifting the wire mesh with telekinesis. I want to surround it so that the heat doesn’t escape.
“Also, I don’t really like it, but should I make it?”
It’s a large group march. And it’s scheduled to be a series of camping trips. We’ll probably only be able to wipe our bodies, and in some cases, we might not even be able to do that.
“Cleaning Magic Item, what shape should I make it? The blueprint… wow, I’ve heard about it, but it’s a complex magic circle. The placement is also severe…”
Each Magic Core can be small and requires little Magical Power, but the magic is ultra-high difficulty because the spell is complex and requires multiple Magic Cores.
To handle this individually, you need to have an aptitude for light, fire, water, wind, holy, darkness, and nothingness, and the talent to handle the Magical Power of each attribute in a well-balanced manner. I wonder how such magic was developed.
In the Unified Space Force era, combat ships accompanied us when we moved, even if it wasn’t a base ship, and there were several mobile baths like the ones placed here, so there was no chance that we couldn’t take a bath, so there was no chance to use it.
Your body, clothes, and hair will be clean, but there’s no sense of refreshment or satisfaction. And it doesn’t relieve fatigue like a bath.
It was a major magic because it was automatically activated when passing through laboratories, sterile rooms, and the entrances of space ships, but I never thought of making it myself.
“The balance of the Magic Cores is difficult… there are also many Magic Stones… I’ll ask you to sort them. What size should I use as a standard?”
I’m always having them dismantled, so there were a lot of Magic Stones of various sizes in the warehouse.
I opened the blueprint and left the Magic Stone sorting to the Support Drone. It will surely find the best combination. But I have to decide on the size of the base.
“Should I go with a lantern style? If I put a light Magic Stone in the middle, it’ll look like one.”
It’s the kind of Magic Stone that falls into the Dreg Magic Stone category, so a Magic Core can be made, but considering the arrangement, it would end up being about the size of an adult’s palm.
If it’s going to be luggage that doesn’t feel out of place when carrying it, that’s about the size it would be.
Ah, there aren’t any normal trees. There were plant-type Monsters, Treants from the Black Forest, weren’t there?
“There they are. And should I make a charcoal hut too… I wonder if there’s one?”
I activate the 3D printer for facilities. It’s something to say, but a blueprint for a charcoal hut exists.
“The highest quality charcoal for you!” is written on it. Apparently, it’s excellent at adjusting scanned wood to suit the purpose. The Unified Space Force was heading in what direction, to have even this kind of thing installed?
＝＝＝＝＝＝
I am applying for Kakuyomu Con 10.
I’ve heard rumors that following the work and ☆ reviews seem to be related to the ranking, so I’d like those. Please do so.