“This area is said to be the border of the Demon Forest.”
Reidus, the party leader, said, turning around.
“It just feels like a grassland, though. Monsters start appearing frequently around here,”
Nadira explained to Sulfa—Alpha Sulphareus=Cosmos—walking beside her.
Sulfa surveyed the surroundings and nodded.
“Indeed, there are more plants. Are there any animals?”
“Around here, you might see rabbits, mice, weasels, tanuki, snakes, and dogs. All of them are animals, not Monsters. …Do you know the difference between a Monster and a non-Monster?”
To Glaver’s question, Atro—Alpha Atrosanguineus=Cosmos—replied.
“I know. The distinction is whether or not they possess a Magic Stone within their bodies.”
It wasn’t exactly basic knowledge, but ＜Paraiso＞ also gathered the minimum amount of information.
If you asked around in a city where you had to deal with Monsters, you could get that much information easily.
“Yeah. The Monsters that appear around here… I’ve heard there are leopards or Hyenas. I’ve never actually seen them, so they probably don’t get close to this road.”
The group was currently walking along a road that stretched from the front-line base towards the Demon Forest.
The road was simply a path that had been trodden down by Adventurers going back and forth, with hardly any grass growing on it.
“Beginners sometimes set up rabbit traps, but Adventurers like us don’t usually work around here. There are only small animals, and no Monsters appear. The Maso is thin, and no Medicinal Herbs grow. That’s why I want to get through this road as quickly as possible.”
“I see. So, the further into the interior you go, the more Medicinal Herbs grow?”
The six walked on.
Behind them, with a quietness that was surprising for its massive size, a Multi-legged Machine (Backpacker) followed.
“Basically, yeah. It depends on the environment, and there are also special terrains called Mana Hotspots. Either way, there’s no doubt that the concentration of Maso is related.”
“Sulfa-san and the others aren’t familiar with this kind of thing, right? This is a Maso Meter.”
Reidus stopped and showed the device in his hand to Sulfa behind him.
“When there’s a lot of Maso, this needle swings to the right. When there’s little Maso, like in North End City, the needle is all the way to the left.”
“…Is this also one of the Magic Tools?”
“Yeah. The materials for this are the Magic Stone and whiskers of a Forest Tiger. Well, if you go into the interior for about a day, you might encounter one. But it’s impossible this time.”
“Is it possible to obtain one in North End City?”
“Ah, yeah. It’s rare, but it’s a necessity for parties going into the interior. If you look for it, you should be able to find one.”
Sulfa, Chris, and Atro immediately asked about anything that caught their interest. While answering them, the group traversed the Grassland.
The boundary area of the Demon Forest was approaching its end.
Around here, there were many shrubs about 2-3 meters tall, giving it the atmosphere of a forest entrance.
“From here on, Deer and Boars will appear. They don’t usually approach, but they might charge if they’re in heat or raising their young, so be careful. Well, it’s fine this time of year.”
“What you need to watch out for is the increase in large carnivorous Monsters. Around here, young individuals who have lost in territorial disputes might suddenly appear. If they’re wounded, they become ferocious, so it’s a trial for Adventurers in their third year.”
Reidus was acting as a scout, several hundred meters ahead. Nadira and Glaver were currently explaining to Sulfa and the others.
Nadira held a short Spear in her hand, on alert.
The remaining four were huddled together so as not to get in the way.
“The usual way is to be cautious here in case any strays have come out. But it looks like it’s okay today. There are signs of Deer here and there.”
As they were chatting, a short whistle sounded.
“That’s Reidus. The safety check is complete. Let’s move on.”
Incidentally, because the Backpacker was following from behind, the wild animals seemed to be watching from a considerable distance.
It was no wonder, considering such a heavy object was lumbering along.
“Be careful near the trees. Snakes sometimes fall from them.”
“Understood.”
Atro nodded at Nadira’s warning and immediately kicked the trunk of a nearby tree. A cracking sound echoed, and the branches shook violently.
Nadira and Glaver were surprised by the sudden action.
Furthermore, Atro caught something falling from the tree.
“There was a snake.”
The snake, its neck grabbed, could do nothing but wrap itself around Atro’s arm in a futile attempt to resist.
“…Amazing. No, even I wouldn’t have noticed that.”
“The power of her kick is extraordinary…”
The two Adventurers evaluated Atro from different perspectives.
The three from ＜Paraiso＞ were wearing Assist Suits, but they were not using the assist functions in terms of strength evaluation.
Atro skillfully used her own tail as a third leg to grip the ground, enhancing the power of her kick.
And Nadira’s observational skills, which allowed her to see through it at a glance, were also not to be underestimated.
“Is it a normal snake?”
Walking along, Atro carefully observed the snake.
“It’s a non-venomous grass snake. And it’s an adult, so it’s not edible, and its skin can’t be used. It’s useless for poison or medicine.”
“I see.”
Atro released the hand holding the snake and lightly shook her arm.
The snake smoothly unwound its body and flew far away with the swing of her arm.
“…Atro-san, but, are you good at fighting?”
“Just Atro is fine. I can say I’m good at using my body. Combat is possible. However, I don’t know if it’s an effective fighting style against so-called Monsters.”
Sulfa, Chris, and Atro, and the Backpacker behind them, were directly connected in terms of information. The information processing itself also used the processing unit installed in the Backpacker, so its capabilities were far higher than those of the Communicator Doll alone.
Because it could integrate and process the sensor information from the four units, its spatial awareness was high, and when combined with precise machine control, it could easily defeat ordinary hostile entities.
However, it was the species called Monsters that had the potential to overturn that expectation.
“This way! There are no traces of Monsters. Also, there’s a small Mana Hotspot ahead, so let’s gather there. I haven’t been able to do Adventurer work for a while, so I have high expectations!”
“Hey Reidus, don’t say things like that!”
The reason they hadn’t been able to do Adventurer work was because ＜Paraiso＞ had been suppressing North End City.
Unless there was hostile behavior, there were no particular restrictions, but even so, very few strong individuals would attack the Demon Forest as usual in a situation where their own base was in trouble.
Nadira hurriedly followed up on Reidus, who had blurted out something that sounded like a dig.
“Oops, sorry! I didn’t mean to complain to Sulfa-san and the others, I just meant that there are fewer people in the same business, so I can expect to make a profit…”
“Just Sulfa is fine. And I understand that it’s not a criticism. Don’t worry about it.”
Reidus and Nadira exhaled deeply. Glaver continued to walk steadily, as if he didn’t care.
“Reidus, just keep that loose mouth shut for the duration of this request!! Seriously, I can’t believe it!”
“Yeah… I’m really sorry.”
Bypassing the dense areas of trees along the way, they reached their destination.
“This is the easiest Hotspot to get to from North End City. Usually, Adventurers stop by on their way back and gather here, so there’s almost nothing left. But today, it’s all you can take.”
“Could you tell me more?”
“Of course! Glaver, I’m counting on you!”