Chapter 556 - Fourth Episode: Exploration of the Regnentes Mine (4)
While moving along the rock face on the raft, we saw the shore through a break in the waterfall. Everyone grabbed onto Harold-sama and teleported to the shore all at once.
The shore is about thirty steps from the waterfall. It was a larger waterfall than I had thought. The drop is also more than three stories high. However, because it's in three stages, it's scattered left and right, and from the third stage, it's about one and a half stories high. For the width and the large amount of water, the plunge pool itself didn't seem to become that deep. When I think about what would have happened if it were one stage, my spine goes cold.
"Do you know where this is?"
"It's the very edge of our beastmen's territory. It's the southwestern edge. Up to the top of that waterfall is our territory. Well, it's not like we clearly demarcated it, though."
When the delinquent prince asked, the Wolf leader answered.
The division between beastmen and human territories is ambiguous. At the time of the Royal Capital area, we made a green wall, but that was also just using the old highway ruins as a guide.
"Then, this river?"
"Yeah, it's the river that divides our territory and the human territory."
In other words, it'll be easy to return if we go upstream.
We gather pieces of wood and make a campfire.
Our bodies are cold and we have to dry our clothes.
In addition to a beastman, there are two highly skilled scouts. They easily procured enough fish for everyone for lunch. In addition, Harold-sama and Godwynn-sama even picked up and carried the crab pincers they slashed off in the water. The base part of the pincer is about the size of a child's torso. The claws are just like two legs.
"It smells good."
The Wolf leader is sniffing with sniff-sniff. When he picked out a little bit of the meat inside the pincer, he licked it with a lick.
"It doesn't seem to have poison. It's quite delicious."
"Does it seem edible?"
The prince is biting on it quite a bit. The Wolf Man is just like that, putting it in his mouth and munching.
"Let me try it too."
"Is it okay? You're a prince, right?"
"If you're fine after eating it, it should be okay."
"Ho ho, you say good things."
When he pinched off another bit, he gave it to the prince.
The two of them are munching together.
"It's delicious."
"Right?"
He gave some to us, saying, "Eat."
When I smell it, it doesn't have the muddiness of a river crab monster. It's like a sea crab. When I work up the courage to put it in my mouth... it's delicious! Every time I bite the chewy meat, a faintly sweet crab flavor spreads in my mouth with a squish. Isn't it even more delicious than sea crab?
"This is good."
"Yes, it'll sell for a high price."
The two scouts also seem to like it.
After that, we ate it together, picking it out with knives. When we roasted it over the fire on wooden sticks, it was also fragrant and delicious. I had only been eating crab, so I became unable to eat fish, and I even had the Wolf leader support me.
"Can you all hunt that crab?"
"Since it's in the water. There's also a waterfall, so it depends on whether the Otter can do it. But, it'll be outside our territory."
"It's neutral ground, right? I'll also send people from this side, so do it jointly. When you hunt, always cooperate with the scout unit. Then you'll be able to use silver weapons. If there's something the Otter wants to use, I'll make it for him. The profit is split fifty-fifty."
"I-is it okay?"
"If possible, I'd like to rear them and make it a stable income."
After that, they began to consult, including Harold-sama and Godwynn-sama. During that time, the talk turned to when the two were fighting the crab. The prince was apparently submerged in the water and watching the situation at that time. He seems to know in detail, and occasionally while showing a smile, he's praising the two's fighting style. Honestly, I felt an unexpected thought. And, I finally remembered. When they were trying to break through the Gnome's trial, the beastmen were hardly using honorifics toward the prince. They were more polite toward me. The prince said nothing about that. Even now, the Wolf leader is not using honorifics.
I know because I'm an acquaintance of Violet, but originally beastmen hardly use honorifics among themselves. Spirits too. Demons only seem to use them toward the Demon Lord. The only ones using honorifics excessively are humans. And honorifics inevitably create a hierarchy. As a prince of a country, he's in a position where honorifics and corresponding etiquette are used toward him from birth. That prince is denying etiquette. In other words, Prince Sawelyn is implicitly conveying that honorifics and etiquette toward him are unnecessary. Of course, humans will use them with an air of importance because the other party is royalty. If they don't, it'll be considered disrespectful, and they'll be disliked by the people of Regnentes.
Manners are useless, huh. Looking at him enjoying the talk of crab extermination with the Wolf leader, who talks to him without hesitation, I somehow understood the prince's way of thinking. However, I can understand, but as a priest, I cannot empathize. It might be a difference in position, but probably, it's just as Sianya said.
We return to the exit once and explore again. For the second time, we decided to proceed on Harold-sama's bowl. That's easier. I also rode in the front and proceeded while illuminating with Light from the tip of my staff.
We go to the junction and proceed toward what seems to be the main path. Centipedes come out as usual.
Wait? Hold on a second.
"Where are these centipedes coming in from?"
The original exit was buried by a landslide. The secret passage that was likely dug as a replacement was under the waterfall. I don't think centipedes came through that water.
"There must be another path leading somewhere else. In any case, let's clarify every corner."
The prince is having fun. Perhaps because they hit it off over the crab matter, the corners of the four's mouths are turned up.
"Some other monsters might come out."
Harold-sama's voice at the very end is also bouncing. It doesn't seem like a place he's coming to for the first time.
"Yeah, bring on anything."
The Wolf leader is also unguarded.
"Jeanne, I'll use a torch. Please chant Sense Living so we aren't caught off guard."
Godwynn-sama is calm.
"What shall we do about the centipedes?"
"I'll blow them away with Favorable Wind."
Favorable Wind. Unless you're an ultra-high-level mage, wouldn't you be unable to blow away those many-legged centipedes in pack units?
"Wind Barrier has stronger power. You'll use that, right?"
I look at the prince.
"What are you talking about?"
"Because, when you fought the giant crab, the one who covered Harold-sama's face with a Wind Barrier was Sawelyn-sama, right? So, Harold-sama was able to use Teleport even though he was underwater, wasn't he?"
The Wolf leader wouldn't be able to do such a detailed thing. If he were unlucky, he'd suffocate the other party. Godwynn-sama was in the water. He couldn't speak. The prince had his face thrust into the water and was watching the state of the battle. He must have been adjusting even after firing the magic. To be able to do such a thing instantly. Not only is his magic control powerful, but isn't he actually coordinating various things with the scout unit?
"Well, fine. Bishop Jeanne has made a Vow of Silence, and she shouldn't tell anyone what she saw and heard after leaving the fortress."
The prince said.
Which means.
"Yeah, I can use upper-level wind magic."
That won't be all.
"The fact that you've kept quiet until now means you're being treated as a secret weapon, right? By any chance, ultra-high-level..."
Wilson-san was also a secret weapon for a long time. No, even now in Regnentes? In Morandine, he was found out by the princes of Finis, Medioland, and Primordia. Come to think of it, Mary is still kept secret.
"Keep quiet."
As expected, is that so? He's still not even twenty. In other words, he couldn't participate in the Demon Lord extermination unit. So, perhaps it wasn't made public.
"Yes. Since there is a Vow of Silence. I won't tell anyone what I saw and heard after leaving the fortress."
However, ultra-high-level is quite impressive.
"Is that so?"
This time it's the Wolf Man. The prince looked up at the sky. The Wolf Man, of course, hasn't made a Vow of Silence.
"What, you're being so distant. If I'd known you were ultra-high-level, I'd have guided you to a place with a higher danger level."
What is that? What do you normally do?
"K-keep quiet."
He's clearly shaken. Perhaps knowing that, Godwynn-sama looked down.
"Sawelyn-sama, I'll keep quiet to His Majesty. Rest assured."
It's Harold-sama. While smirking, he patted Godwynn-sama's shoulder with pat-pat. Godwynn-sama's back straightened up.
"S-sorry. Please do that."
Sweat beaded on the prince's forehead. Even though it's inside a cool cave, it's July. He might sweat a bit.
In any case, it's reassuring to have an ultra-high-level mage. The Wolf Man promised not to tell humans, but the prince might have become desperate because he was found out. When he makes a spherical clump of air with an application of Wind Barrier, he's blowing them away grandly by bringing the clump close to centipedes whenever he finds them and deactivating a part of it. I've seen this kind of use for the first time. It might be effective if ants or something come out.
"Is that so? Wasn't it you who said to blow them away with Wind Barrier?"
"No, that's a talk for those who have mid-level or upper-level magic control."
"With this method, it's finished in one go."
Well, that's so.
"I think that's fine when you can detect in advance with Sense Living that there are only light opponents like centipedes. But, if there's a heavy monster, you'd have to immediately change to other magic, right? Isn't it said that it's better to use a combination of basic and mid-level magic, assuming such cases?"
Eleanor-sama taught me that.
"Ho ho. I see Eleanor put ideas into your head."
As expected of a companion, he saw through it easily.
"It's a good opportunity. Sawelyn-sama also used earth magic. Shall we try a combination of earth magic and stone-throwing? How about it? One stone, one kill."
Harold-sama took out a fist-sized stone from the leather bag hanging at his waist.
"One stone, one kill? What is that?"
And so, the collaboration practice between the former hero and the young prince began.
Several centipedes the prince blew away are gathered in one place. Since they can only be illuminated by the flame of the torch, it's in the dark. When I cast Sight, they became somewhat visible. Instead, centipedes spread across my full field of vision, so I immediately switched to Sense Living.
"Your Highness, can you see the centipedes?"
"Yeah. It's dark, but I can see them well thanks to the effect of Bishop Jeanne's magic. It's not a very pleasant thing, though."
Since he's a man, I'll have him work hard.
"Then, here I go."
"Good."
Harold-sama throws a stone with a whoosh.
"Hurl Stone!"
He accelerates the stone. With a flashy thud, one Sense Living reaction disappeared. Simultaneously, the other centipedes flee.
"Magnificent!"
Truly one stone, one kill.
"Hieee! Incredible. The head is completely crushed!"
The Wolf Man gives an explanation he didn't have to. I accidentally imagined it.
"It's quite a power."
The prince is also satisfied.
"If you have a fist-sized stone, you can blow off the head of a human or an orc."
Harold-sama gives an even more unnecessary explanation. I remembered the sight I saw before.
"I didn't know such power could be produced with Hurl Stone. I thought it was just being able to fly many, and the power was no different from normal stone-throwing."
"Yes. By throwing by hand, the burden until moving a stopped object is eliminated, so the power increases all at once by that much. If you're an ultra-high-level mage, even with a single use, you can easily go fifty or sixty. In actual combat, ten or twenty should be enough. You blow off the head of the vanguard to make the enemy wary, stop them, and then hit them with something big with a boom. You can even charge toward the flinching enemy."
"What is the range? Can you fly it further than an arrow?"
"The range is short. After all, the stone is heavier. At most it'll be fifty steps. However, the power is significantly higher here, and it's not much affected by the wind. And because it looks like that. It's suitable for reducing the enemy's will to fight."
"Hmm. It's suitable for meeting an enemy that's charging, then."
"A wise observation."
Um, I am a priest who opposes war, you know. A stray, though.
Perhaps they got carried away, as they began to fire one after another. There are two scouts and a beastman. A lot of skilled stone-throwers are gathered. The three fired in turn toward the centipedes that were desperately fleeing, and the prince's magic accelerated them. They missed several shots, but the accuracy gradually improved.
"Good! I've severed the torso! It'll die soon."
Every single shot has an explanation.
"I did it! I crushed the head. One hit."
He's clapping his hands and rejoicing.
Even so, for the first time, their aim is accurate.
"I had been practicing Hurl Stone. It's effective in mine and cave exploration. You can attack further away than a sword or spear, and above all, it's efficient because you can be empty-handed."
He must have explored quite a bit until now.
They defeated more than twenty, but it stopped there because a new enemy appeared.
It's a slug. It's Eleanor-sama's natural enemy. Recently it might even be called livestock.
"That can't be defeated."
It's the Wolf leader.
"No, I've heard from Harrison. I believe if you wash it with soapy water, you'll be able to attack it with weapons or magic."
The prince knew. Harrison-san is occasionally summoned to the Royal Palace. Because requests for evil spirit extermination come to the Royal Palace from each country, but it seems he's hearing adventure tales at that time.
"Soap? That stuff that smells really bad, right? Come to think of it, Jeanne still has some now. I was wondering what it was used for, but does it have such a use?"
No, it's not dedicated to slug extermination, you know. Let's wash our own hands and bodies.
The Wolf Man, who dislikes soap because his sense of smell is too sharp, is one thing, but Harold-sama and Godwynn-sama also knew the method to defeat slugs.
Godwynn-sama could use water magic. However, it seems only basic Water and Freeze. Water should be convenient for a scout. Because he can get safe water that won't make him sick even if he drinks it at any time.
However, there's no one who can use Clump Water. What will they do?
"It's simple. You just have to dig a hole and drop the slug in."
It's Sawelyn-sama.
Following those words, when the Wolf leader dug up the soil at the slug's feet... it has no feet, though... it fell easily. There, Godwynn-sama fired Water repeatedly to pool water. Since the Wolf Man solidified the soil of the hole, it pooled safely. The slug is doing its wriggling with only its head out. They put in finely chopped soap there. The pulpy moving slug stirs the water on its own. They wait for a while.
"It's become foamy. It should be about time."
The prince said so and hit it with a stone in the same way as the centipedes. The slug, which should have deflected every single thing, had a large hole opened in it and was safely defeated.
"How's that?"
It's good that he's acting proud, but...
"Hey, Jeanne. Wouldn't it be faster to just dig a hole and bury it?"
I pretended not to hear the Wolf Man's small voice.