“Thinly sliced, I said.”
“Looks pretty thick to me…?”
“It’s tough. And the meat has no flavor.”
“Probably because they forced it to simmer with herbs. They took quite a while.”
“The soup has a weird smell mixed in. And yet, it’s bland…”
At night, the Black Ants retreat into their nest. So, we also return to the campsite for a proper rest.
As expected, Wurms seem to be used in the rations. I took a bite or two, but it still had a strange taste. They probably mixed in herbs to mask the smell, and when that didn’t work, they diluted the flavor by adding a lot of hot water.
“You should use your own supplies for times like these, you know?”
“Duly noted.”
“While you’re at it, remember this too. Why are Cladfield and I the ones cooking?”
“I kind of figured it out already.”
Why can’t those two women even peel vegetables? They can handle dismantling Monsters just fine, though.
“…Sorry.”
“Well, Grams is kind of…”
“I’d be surprised if you could.”
“It’s not that I can’t, but the ingredients are too small.”
“It’s normal size!?”
“You’re not that big either, you know!?”
I’m not a giant!!
“…Maybe I should make a peeler.”
“A peeler?”
“A Magic Item that makes peeling vegetables and fruits relatively easy.”
“Is there such a thing? And who would buy a Magic Item like that?”
It’s not that kind of Magic Item.
“Ah, there you are.”
“Hmm? Oh, it’s you.”
It’s the Knight I met during the day. Sir Brian, the Special Class Knight, was it?
“You stand out because you’re so big.”
“…Not sure how to respond to a compliment from a man out of the blue.”
I don’t think that’s what he meant?
“Here, a souvenir.”
“Hmm, thanks. Is this a negotiation?”
Saying that, Grams takes out a bottle from his Magic Bag. It looks like alcohol.
“Glad you’re quick on the uptake. Since you’re gathered here, you must be members hired by some noble families, right? We’ll be discussing additional rewards through those houses, so I’d like you to lend us your strength. From a quick glance, Grams seems to be the strongest.”
“What do you need us to do?”
Grams asks while accepting the alcohol.
“We’re going to cut through the Forest to the Nest. I’d like you to clear the way.”
“…That’s not really my forte.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“You saw my weapon, right? If I attack with that, it’ll make noise. And if there’s noise, Monsters will come.”
“Come to think of it, you had a big one.”
“All my weapons are like that. I can fight unarmed, but it’s tough when Warrior-class Monsters are mixed in, let alone Soldier-class.”
“Hmm.”
“Raise said she’s not good at hunting in the Forest, so wouldn’t it be Cladfield and Brenda?”
“What about those two?”
I raise my hand since I was asked.
“…No, let’s not.”
“Hey, you judged me by my appearance!?”
“Can’t blame him, can you?”
Because they’re a kid and a girl.
“Alright, I won’t ask you to accompany us. Instead, can I recommend you for Monster extermination within the Forest?”
“That wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Thanks. It would help if you could head straight for the Nest. It’ll make things easier for us if you clear out the Monsters. Oh, take that. It’s not too strong, so you can drink it now if you want.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
“I think the assault on the Nest will be authorized tomorrow or the day after, so keep that in mind.”
“Hmm, I see.”
He said what he wanted and left.
“Royal Guard-class, Brenda, can you handle it?”
“Hmm, well. But. I’m not so sure.”
“Your weapon is impossible to use in the first place, right?”
“Ugh…”
She’s been continuously fighting Black Ants since then. Brenda’s weapon is already battered.
“A-Are you okay!?”
“No problem.”
Or rather, mine is too high quality and barely chipped. I activated healing just in case, though.
“I use my fists, after all. I can cover it with Magical Power.”
“No problem then.”
Well, the last person is a lump of iron.
“What do we do? Do you want to go to a different team by yourself?”
“Hmm, but it’s hard to find a new one.”
Groups have already formed to some extent, and they’re starting to coordinate. It’s a little awkward to join a new one now.
“Then at least, shouldn’t you borrow some weapons for tomorrow?”
“Hmm, I guess that’s the only option. But I wonder if there are any good ones?”
I don’t think there are any good ones left.
“…Yeah, you’re right. It’s too soon.”
“Haa, yeah.”
Raise-san is yawning. She did the night watch in shifts and has been active since before sunrise. Can’t blame her for yawning.
Soldiers clear the Forest, and Knights guard the surroundings. People are arranged in that way. And the role of defeating the Black Ants that come out of the Nest before that means that they will inevitably depart earlier than them.
“No problem.”
“How were the weapons?”
“I borrowed some, but…”
It seems she didn’t find anything satisfactory.
“Then, I guess we’ll ask you to guard Mira.”
“Understood.”
“And please collect Magic Stones while you’re at it.”
“…I’ll do my best.”
“…Morning already?”
Grams woke up to our voices.
“Alright, let’s get ready and depart.”
“Hmm? No problem, I can go right away.”
“At least wash your face?”
“Hmm… right.”
“Right” isn’t the answer. You’re dirty. The women were on the last watch just to prepare in the morning, you know? I thought that was a bit much, though.
“I’ll hold the lantern, okay? I can float it with Telekinesis.”
“Leave it to you.”
It’s dark both ways. And I’ll be able to use Cleaning magic too.
“Are we leaving our luggage here?”
“Yesterday was a wasteland, so we could find our luggage even if we threw it.”
“We won’t be able to find it in the Forest?”
“That’s right.”
Mira-san was there, so we could throw it near her as a landmark.
“I have a Magic Bag, so I can keep it, but what do you want to do?”
“Hmm, can I ask you to?”
“Cladfield, what about you?”
“Is it okay? Then I’ll leave it to you. Just a moment.”
I was already preparing. I hang the spare dagger and water bottle that were hanging on my backpack on my waist.
I also gargle and wash my hands. I washed my face and activated Cleaning. And I secretly eat a lot of portable food.
“I’m ready here.”
“I see. We have to hurry before it gets bright.”
“Hey, not yet?”
“Just a little more.”
“It’s okay. Hmm? You look pretty clean.”
“U-Um, I have my ways.”
“…Teach me next time.”
“Quiet. You’ll wake everyone up. More importantly, let’s go.”
It’s before sunrise, so naturally, there are many people sleeping around. We’re attracting attention from the people on fire watch.
“Let’s walk out slowly and then run.”
Raise-san says quietly, and we nod. One person’s armor is a bit noisy, but please forgive him.
We run through the wasteland, greet the soldiers on watch, and arrive at the Forest before sunrise. It was worth running.
“This area is easy to understand.”
“Yeah. It’s cut straight, and the trees are moved aside.”
“…There’s something there, though?”
“It’s a Forest, after all.”
The ones who came to greet us weren’t Black Ants, but a large winged Monster. I know something similar, but what’s its name?
“Hunter Fly, huh? They have a habit of gathering around light, don’t they?”
Ah, that’s me.
“Telekinesis.”
I float a stone lying on the ground, shoot it out, and blow its head off.
“Isn’t that a waste of Magical Power?”
“I don’t use Telekinesis much.”
“Flying enemies are troublesome, so please do it within a reasonable range.”
“Understood. It looks like I’m the one being targeted, so I’ll deal with it well.”
I’m the one holding the lantern, after all.
“The visibility is somewhat good, but it’s still dark. Let’s proceed carefully from here.”
“Yeah.”
Everyone nods at Grams’ words. Even though it’s been cleared, it’s still inside the Forest. The Black Ants aren’t active yet, but nocturnal Monsters exist.
With obstacles gradually increasing, we slowly proceed through the dark Forest.
As the sky brightens, the Forest also changes its appearance.
Unlike at night, most of the Monsters that appear are Black Ants. As expected, there are many Soldier-class ones.
“Nuun!”
“Haa!”
“Sei!”
Raise-san is still fighting with her fists, and I’m slicing through enemies with my Nata.
Grams changed his weapon, switching from the Spike Flail to a hammer. It seems it was in his Magic Bag.
With a thud! He slams the Black Ant into the ground! The vibration echoes around, and that sound attracts the next Black Ant.
“There’s no end to them!”
“It can’t be helped, this is our job.”
“Are you guys okay over there!?”
“We’re fine!”
“…I’m okay.”
There’s one person who’s slightly depressed because her weapon is broken, but overall, things are going smoothly.
The borrowed weapon was badly chipped, and I didn’t know when it would break, so I gave her my dagger.
It’s made by Tonkakke, so it’s much better than the miscellaneous mass-produced weapons prepared by the Knights Order or soldier groups. It should be able to swing without problems even against Warrior-class opponents.
“Still, my hands are starting to hurt.”
“You should use gauntlets or something.”
“My magical power isn’t flowing well. Plus, it’s getting harder to move my fingers. I even had a custom-made item before, but it didn’t quite fit, considering the price.”
“Want to use something? Besides the Spike Flail, there’s also a Sword Mace and a Heavy Club.”
“…No, I don’t think I can handle them. I’ll manage while taking breaks.”
“Is that so? Well, alright.”
When enemies approach, we stop and focus on intercepting them, then strip them of materials and clean up. If anyone’s injured, Mira-san heals them. Once that’s done, we move again. It’s just a repetition of that.
Perhaps because we’re gradually approaching the nest, the number of enemies appearing at once has increased, so the women have been waiting in the trees more often. Collecting Magic Stones during combat has also become too dangerous.
“It’s a relief there aren’t any more Wurms.”
“Those kinds of opponents are easier to smash, though.”
“If there were that many of those big guys, we’d be in trouble.”
“They don’t seem to be a very numerous type of Monster, so they’re probably all gone.”
Even when we were in the village, I hardly ever saw those Monsters.
…I sense something behind us. Is it a person?
Grams and Raise-san seem to have noticed too. Brenda’s a bit late.
“…So it’s you guys. You really are excellent.”
“Sir Brian?”
“You remembered me? I’m glad.”
“Yes, well.”
As expected of a Special-Class Knight, he’s quite strong. He leaves an impression.
“You’ve already caught up?”
“In the end, permission to enter the nest hasn’t been granted yet, so we’ve been assigned to participate in thinning out the Monsters. We’re supporting parties that are ahead of us, like you guys.”
“From the perspective of someone who’s been attacked repeatedly, I don’t think it’s a good idea to touch the nest yet.”
When Raise-san speaks, everyone’s attention focuses on her.
“Is that so?”
“If the number of enemies decreases, the number of attacks and the number of enemies appearing at once will also decrease, right? Regardless of the number of attacks, I don’t sense that the number of enemies is decreasing.”
“…Raise is right. If anything, the number of enemies during attacks has increased.”
“Hmm, that’s good to know. Is there anything else you’re concerned about?”
For some reason, Grams and Raise-san’s gazes are on Ore at Brian-sama’s words.
“…If you’re offering support, then supply us with weapons. We’ve prepared a certain amount of weapons, but since the opponents are what they are, they’re becoming consumables.”
“Is that so?”
“Unlike you Knights, our weapons are of lower quality.”
It might be surprising, but not many people spend a lot of money on weapons. Weapons, being lumps of metal, are already expensive, so trying to be particular about them on top of that leads to outrageous prices.
The weapons at Tonkakke’s place aren’t too bad when it comes to mass-produced items, but custom orders jump to more than double the price as a matter of course.
“Also, please not only clear the trees but also carry out the felled trees as much as possible. They become obstacles, and small Monsters other than the Black Ant hide in them.”
That can lead to ambushes.
“After that, wouldn’t it be good to actually fight and experience it? We’ll come again.”
“Ah, it seems so. But no matter how many we defeat, they keep coming.”
Though still distant, I can feel enemies heading towards us.
Grams grips his hammer, and Raise-san clenches her fists, taking a stance.
Ore also draws Nata, and Brian-sama and the Knights also draw their respective weapons.
Mira-san and Brenda evacuate to the trees.
“Shall we see what you’re capable of?”
“Well, let’s see.”
An overwhelmingly large number of Black Ant appear one after another. But since our attackers have doubled, we succeed in defeating them quickly.
The number of defeated enemies is large, and disposing of the corpses has become difficult. While secretly storing them in my Spatial Storage, I use magic to dig a large hole in the ground and throw the corpses into it in the order that the Magic Stones are extracted.
I’ll put oil in it and set it on fire, but will it burn completely?
“You have an interesting weapon? And your use of magic is unique too.”
“That’s bad manners.”
Please don’t try to pry into other people’s secrets.
“Should we head back soon… What a pain.”
“Well, I can understand how you feel.”
“There’s a campsite in the Forest, though? It was on the map. It’s much closer than going back to the depths of the wasteland.”
“Then let’s go there.”
“I’m hungry.”
We’ve been moving since early morning, before sunrise. It’s only natural to be hungry.
“It’s completely dark, so let’s move there.”
“Yeah.”
Honestly, we have enough supplies to camp here as is, but if there’s a place to rest, that’s better.
“It would be nice if we could catch something on the way back.”
“With this many Black Ant around, it might be difficult. Ordinary Monsters would be their prey.”
“I don’t want to meet anything that isn’t ordinary.”
That’s very true.
We move while talking and arrive at the campsite in an open area in the Forest.
There are a lot of Knights here. Let’s stay in the corner.
“What should we do for food?”
“It seems like we can get rations?”
“Is it Wurms again?”
“It seems different.”
“Then I’ll get some.”
“Kraf, Raise.”
Don’t give me those looks.
“I just need to make more, right… I understand.”
“There aren’t any vegetables?”
“I have a little.”
He handed over a box of potatoes. I won’t use this much. And give me leafy vegetables.
“Well, I’ll do what I can.”
“Sorry, I’ll leave it to you. My hands are really sore.”
The rations are still soup and bread. I put all the soup for everyone back into the pot and dilute it with water as before. This time, since we don’t have any game, I add broth and seasonings that I brought. This time it’s miso flavored.
Not only potatoes, but I also chop up Dried Meat, fry it in a frying pan, and add it. Grams also had some Dried Meat, so he added that.
Not only the pot, but I also skewered them so they could be roasted and gnawed on.
“…Looks delicious.”
“If you provide ingredients, you’re welcome to join us?”
“…Is alcohol okay?”
“Depends on the amount.”
It was Brian-sama, who had taken off his armor. It seems he was also using this campsite.
He was accompanied by a slightly older Knight with an eyepatch covering one eye.
“Ho ho ho, I’ll have some pickled vegetables, if you please?”
“Wonderful. Please, this way.”
He took out pickles. They have a nice color.
“Do you not like alcohol?”
“Well, I’m not good with alcohol.”
It’s not that I can’t drink it, but a lot of it is sour. It’s a bit too much for a kid’s palate.
“Please exchange information with Raise-san. I’ll serve you when the meal is ready. Ah, please bring your own bread.”
“That’s helpful. The rations alone aren’t enough.”
“That’s a lack of preparation. I have prepared it properly.”
“It would have been nice if you had told us or shared some?”
“Ho ho ho ho. You didn’t ask.”
He seems to be a surprisingly strict person.