Chapter 130 - Fourth Arc: Preliminary Investigation ④
The snake was slithering its body out of the hole, and its long entire body gradually came into view. Certainly, even a Fenrir would be coiled by it.
"How do we defeat a monster like that?"
"How does the Jaeger squad do it?"
"As far as I know, I don't think there are records for snakes."
The other Jaeger also nodded at Lewis-san's answer.
They have silver arrows nocked, but they seem to be hesitating.
Since the body is long, it probably won't be affected much even if several arrows are stuck in it. On the contrary, our location might be realized and we might be counterattacked.
I hear that snakes move fast despite their appearance. If we're bitten by something that big, we'll definitely die.
"It should be fine if we hit the head with several shots of [Skill: Holy]."
Is it impossible even for Marcelo-san in one shot?
"It'll be troublesome if it escapes into the hole."
It might be better if it escapes...
"Aim for when it returns to the hole."
Again, I heard a voice.
Even when I look around, no one is there.
It seems no one but me heard it, and they are watching the snake with bated breath.
The snake is slithering out of the hole and coiling itself.
"Let's aim for when it returns to the hole."
I don't know who it is, but there's no mistake that they helped us. I decided to believe them. If that thing had suddenly attacked from under our feet, we wouldn't have been able to avoid it. One person would have died.
"Hmm. It'll probably return to the hole head-first, so the opponent will be defenseless. But where do we aim?"
I was stumped when Lewis-san asked me.
If the head is in the hole, the theory is to aim for the heart, but I don't know where the heart is in that long body.
"The heart of a snake around here should be in the front part of the body, probably not so far from the head. I don't know the exact location, but let's fire many and somehow hit it. Marcelo and I will fire [Skill: Holy], and Beatrix, please fire [Skill: Energy Bolt]."
As expected of a specialist in corpses. He seems to be well-versed in snake internal organs too.
"What should we do?"
"The Jaeger squad, please fire arrows to divert its attention when the snake sticks its head out. In that case, we will concentrate our aim on the head."
"Yeah. Understood. Then, we'll approach from the east."
The hole was open with its mouth facing slightly east. It'll be harder for the snake with its head thrust into the hole to notice if we approach from the east.
"Please. We will move onto the rock with [Skill: Teleport] once the snake starts returning to the hole."
When Lewis-san and the others started moving, the snake turned this way.
Since the Jaegers are moving into the forest, I don't think they'll be noticed, but...
The snake came down the hill.
Oh no, we've been noticed. Lewis-san also stopped and lowered his posture, but it's heading that way.
"It can't be helped. We're moving."
When Marcelo-san took my and Beatrix's wrists and chanted [Skill: Teleport], the front of my eyes went pitch black for a moment, and when I realized it, I was looking down at the snake from on top of the stone.
"[Skill: Holy]! [Skill: Holy]! [Skill: Holy]!"
The target is the head. Since the snake is keeping its head low, it's hard to aim, but for now, I fired three shots with all my might. Marcelo-san and Beatrix are also each firing magic.
Several shots should have hit, but the snake turned this way and raised its scythe-neck. Its long, forked tongue can be seen flicking in and out.
It approached bit by bit.
Is it not working...
Even when Marcelo-san fires magic, it moves its neck nimbly and avoids it. It doesn't even try to avoid my or Beatrix's magic.
Lewis-san and the others are firing arrows and they are stuck, but I don't think they are deep wounds. The scales seem to be hard.
Finally, when the head came near us, it opened its mouth so wide that I thought its jaw would come off.
Two long fangs that can only be described as curved swords can be seen. It lowered its head backward as if arching its chest.
"[Skill: Teleport]!"
In an instant, we moved behind Lewis-san and the others.
The snake probably intended to bite; it's hitting its head against the rock.
"Sorry. We were noticed."
"More importantly, it's approaching."
The snake raised its neck and looked around, but it can't hide its body just by lying in the grassland. It seems to have found us easily, and it came down the hill at an unexpectedly fast speed.
"We'll scatter to the left and right to divert the snake's attention. Somehow finish it with magic."
Without even a moment to stop them, both of them drew their white silver swords and ran to the left and right of the snake.
If the snake sets its aim on either one and it becomes one-on-one, there's no way they can win.
"Ice magic."
Again, I heard a voice.
"Beatrix. Fire ice magic with all your might until you're exhausted."
If she fires until exhausted, she won't be able to use magic. Since it's basic magic, there probably won't be any falling into darkness, but she'll lose her ability to continue fighting. Even so, we have to do it now.
Marcelo-san and I fire [Skill: Holy] in rapid succession. They're being avoided, but it'll at least serve as a distraction. We have to stop its movement before the two from the Jaeger squad strike.
"[Skill: Freeze]!"
She took time until activation, so she widened the range. It became white as if frost had fallen over the entire area of the head.
While firing in rapid succession, the snake's advance stopped. Whether it's hating it or not, it's retreating while keeping its neck turned this way.
"Now's the time. Let's strike from point-blank range."
"Understood. We'll aim from the bottom up."
When I took Marcelo-san's wrist, he seemed to understand, and we were sent flying with [Skill: Teleport].
It's right under the scythe-neck.
I aim for the head with [Skill: Holy] from under the jaw.
Marcelo-san also fired mid-level [Skill: Holy] in rapid succession.
As expected, this took its toll, and the raised neck fell to the ground with a thud. The head might have been paralyzed.
The body is moving in a wriggling manner.
If it collides with us, we'll probably be blown away just by that.
I hurriedly escape.
"Leave it to us!"
Lewis-san and the others who came running struck their white silver swords against the neck area many times, and finally, they forced it off.
We finally defeated it.
Since the two from the Jaeger squad were covered in blood spray and looked almost like monsters, I cast [Skill: Clean Up] on them. Marcelo-san was casting [Skill: Anti-Poison] magic on the two of them just in case.
It doesn't work on all poisons, but it should be effective against monster poison.
When I look at Beatrix, she's crouching in the grassland.
When I ran up and took out a water bottle, she smiled at me.
"Sorry for saying something unreasonable. Are you okay?"
Sweat is beaded on her forehead, and she's breathing hard.
"I'm glad we could defeat it. I pushed myself a bit."
If you try to exert the effect of magic over a wide range, the consumption is also intense.
I heard later that it was tougher than split magic. If she weren't a mid-level mage, she would have collapsed.
"I'm surprised you could do something like that."
Normal [Skill: Freeze] freezes the target.
Beatrix's magic this time froze the space including the head.
"Dune made it snow, right? I remembered that time. Also, James-sama's [Skill: Blizzard]. He was casting magic on a place where there was nothing. The output is different, but I thought I could do it. Until then, magic wasn't working at all."
"But thanks to you, we were saved. Thank you."
"We won because of your instructions. What on earth was that all about?"
Come to think of it, that's true. I still don't know who the owner of the voice that helped us was.
I left Beatrix with Marcelo-san and went to look toward the forest. It was definitely a girl's voice.
I search around where she was hiding from the snake, but there's nothing that looks like her.
"If you'd like, please show yourself. I want to thank you for helping us."
After waiting for a while, I heard a voice saying, "I'm here."
No one is there...
"Where are you?"
"I'm here. Under the oak tree."
Oak tree...
Where she was hiding was in the thicket under the oak tree. You're saying you were there?
A ghost? No, she helped us. Besides, the sun is still high.
"Where?"
"Here. Here."
When I look toward the voice, there's only one red flower blooming. It's about the height of a shin, and five petals that seem to be fluttering are softly open. It's a beautiful flower I've never seen before.
"There's a flower blooming, right? That's me."
When I look closely, a small girl's face about the size of a pinky is peeking out from inside the flower.
I was surprised. I wonder if it's a flower spirit or something.
I can't just be surprised. First, I have to say thank you.
"You're the one who helped us. Thank you."
"It's fine. It's better if that snake isn't around. It's mutual."
"Are you a spirit?"
"In a way."
I wonder what she means by "in a way"?
"I'm usually treated as a monster."
A flower monster... I've heard of it.
"An Alraune?"
"That's right. You know of me. I'm happy."
I think they beguile men, suck their blood, and kill them? What should I do? Even though she helped us, she's a monster.
" I won't kill you! I just get a little blood sometimes. Humans always exaggerate things."
Come to think of it, Dune also complained to me.
"I'm sorry. But why do you suck blood?"
"Animal blood is necessary when making seeds. The most delicious is human blood."
"How much do you suck?"
"Just a little. About as much as ten mosquitoes."
It's only a tiny bit. But is one treated as a monster just for that?
"Frequency is necessary. For about ten consecutive days. So, I'm happy if someone I've become friends with comes every day, but there are people who don't think well of it."
I see. If someone is going to the forest every day and having their blood sucked, anyone would be worried.
"Does that person's health decline?"
"It doesn't! What do you think I am!"
"Sorry, sorry."
While we were doing that, Marcelo-san came bringing Beatrix.
"Is something wrong?"
"There was an Alraune."
"Speaking of Alraune, it's a flower spirit, isn't it?"
"Oh, I'm happy. There's someone who properly understands."
"She really is here," Marcelo-san said as he crouched and greeted her.
It seems everyone can hear the voice now.
According to the Alraune, animals hadn't been approaching much because of the snake. On top of that, with that huge body, it had crushed several of her companions, and she alone had been waiting here for someone who would exterminate the snake.
"That snake is a bad snake. It keeps eating the animals around here, and even when we try to make seeds, it just keeps interfering. On top of that, it crushed all my companions."
"That's why you helped us."
"That's right. It was an enemy for you too, wasn't it?"
Well, that's true. If that thing were around, we wouldn't be able to do any pioneering.
"Why was the voice only heard by Jeanne?"
Normally, you can't hear the voice unless you visually confirm the Alraune. However, I heard the voice.
"You're wearing a tree spirit's ring or something, right? That's why. I was calling out through that."
Come to think of it, I'm wearing a tree spirit's charm on a string around my neck.
"One more thing. There's a deciding factor, right? A pinecone."
"A pinecone?"
Come to think of it, when I chased the miscreant to the north of the mountain stream, I picked some pinecones. Since there was one that was smaller than the others, I put it in my item bag as a souvenir, and it's been there ever since.
"That's a tree spirit's pinecone. There aren't many people who carefully carry that around."
I didn't know.
I involuntarily exchange looks with Beatrix.
Apparently, normal pinecones don't get that big.
Um, I was throwing those at Gargoyles during the aerial battle...
"Oh, is that so? The brown ones? The green hard ones?"
I didn't pick the green or brown ones whose scales hadn't opened because Paul-san told me not to. They are apparently still immature.
"Then it's fine. The brown ones with open scales are after the seeds have been flown, so the tree spirit shouldn't be angry."
Is that so. Paul-san surely must have known. I'm glad I didn't take them.
However, to be trusted by a flower spirit because of one that happened to remain—coincidence is a terrifying thing.
The tree spirit seems to be a higher-ranking spirit than the flower spirit, and people who are on good terms with the tree spirit are apparently trustworthy.
"But you really believed my words."
"Somehow, I guess. It didn't sound like you were deceiving me."
"Didn't you think I was a ghost or a monster?"
"If you're helping us, it might not matter if you're a ghost or a monster."
"You're interesting. That's why you're liked by spirits."
I don't really understand, but I suppose it's good if she likes me.
"By the way, what are you going to do from now on?"
"We came to investigate the hole. We plan to build a human fortress here."
"Oh, pioneering again? Just when the snake is gone."
"Sorry. If you like, shall I try talking to the important people? I can't make promises, but this forest might be protected for you."
I look at Lewis-san and the others who are inspecting the snake.
Since she's a benefactor who helped us, they might consider the Alraune's situation too.
"It's fine. I don't have any companions anyway, so I'll move somewhere else."
"Can you move?"
It's a surprise. Normally, plants don't move.
"I can."
Suddenly, she pulled her roots out of the ground with a squelch and started walking with tiny steps.
Come to think of it, there was something similar at Dune's house. Could it be that that's also a spirit? It seems to be frequently eaten by bugs, though.
"Is it better if there are animals to make seeds?"
" I won't make seeds. There are no male flowers. I can't make seeds without pollen from male flowers."
"Then you won't suck blood?"
"That's right. Until I encounter a male flower somewhere. Until then, water that has been exposed to the sun is fine."
She added that it would be even better if there were soil full of forest nutrients.
"Do you have a place to go?"
"I don't. But that's how spirits are. If I'm alone, I'll live on my own."
Now that she mentions it, Dune and Mel are also basically alone.
But if someone treated as a monster is alone in a planned pioneering area, they might be exterminated.
Since her stride is small, she won't be able to go very far.
I want to do something for her.
I call Marcelo-san and Beatrix and consult with them.
"Hey, Beatrix. Is it okay?"
"It can't be helped. Don't leave it all to Lyudmila."
"Yeah. Understood."
When I look at Marcelo-san, he's smiling.
It seems to be okay. I'll just ask the person herself.
"Hey, Alraune. If you'd like, why don't you come to our place for a while? Let's live together until you find a male flower."