Chapter 601 - Chapter 3 Slug Experiment
In late May, I came to the wetlands of Northern Gram for the third time, along with Henry's party and Beatrix.
This time, Robinson-san is a special participant. Northern Gram has been exploring coexistence and co-prosperity with spirits and monsters since the agreement with the Dullahan, and they are on good terms with the Goblins as well. After the tenth meeting ended, during the wrap-up party at the farm, the talk turned to whether he should actually meet them. Robinson-san and the Elder were also interested, so the meeting was realized.
Naturally, with Eleanor-sama involved, it wouldn't end there. In short, it's about the Amphisbaena and the Slugs.
Last time, we used a little trick to catch the Slugs. Basically, they are invincible Slugs that magic and weapons don't work on at all, but if you make soapy water and wash them with water magic, magic and weapons start to work, and combined with their lack of offensive power, they become weaker than mice. However, once you wash them, they don't easily return to their original state. If that happens, they can't paralyze the snakes. So, we had the magic soldiers who were with us wash only their heads. In that state, we cast Sleep, and the effect was perfect. Moreover, everything except the head was still slimy. At that time, it ended in a draw due to time running out, but the experiment itself continued, and the Amphisbaena that bit the Slug the next day was successfully paralyzed, and its skin, meat, fangs, bones, and poison glands were sold for a high price as profit.
Looking at the wetlands as a whole, there are an awful lot of young Amphisbaena. If the profit from selling them is higher than that of snakes, Amphisbaena hunting will become an industry. It's a gold rush until they are wiped out. This time, we came to experiment with developing an efficient method by combining what we've learned so far.
It would be good if we could control the Amphisbaena, but it was said that it's likely impossible. Since there are no discovery cases, the extermination reward hasn't even been decided, and it's not even listed in the secret books. But they are clearly stronger than snakes and use Maelstrom. Despite hibernating, they have resistance to ice magic, and on the Ice Island, they were fine with boiling water as if they had jumped out of a geyser. The judgment is that they are likely B-rank... or at the very least C-rank. We won't know until we actually try, but it seems impossible.
And the background for Robinson-san's existence, which had been kept hidden and lurking around Nakanohara Lake, finally being declassified is, in short, because he became able to control the Slugs. Until now, he had been catching and breeding Slugs on a small scale. Apparently, that wouldn't be enough for the mass production of Eleanor's armor, helmets, and shields. Under the pretext of researching the Slug's mucus that defeats snakes, he intends to take back the ones he caught. Ostensibly, it's supposed to be research into whether it's effective against other monsters as well. Since he's likely involving the Lich too, it's not a lie.
Subordination seems to be a truly rare magic, and within the range Eleanor-sama knows, Robinson-san is the only user. It was even called a lost ancient magic. Of course, just as the Arachne of the Ruined Town used Arachnes to invade, a Revenant could learn it if they used Forbidden Magic, but even if they did, they would keep quiet about it, so officially there are none. This time, under the pretext of being the person who created the opportunity for Sertoria to become friends with the Goblins, he made his debut limited to Northern Gram. Even for Northern Gram, the co-prosperity system within the isolation facility has not yet been made public even within the country. It's like saying, "Let's work together as fellow creatures."
On the other hand, the meeting between the Elder and the Goblins living in the Dryad's Forest of Northern Gram was held in the Dryad's Forest. Initially, it was planned for the isolation facility, but the Elder said he wanted to see the actual dwelling place.
These Goblins also wear clean clothes, just like the Goblins of Nakanohara Lake. This is because they use the Dryad's trees to commute and have jobs at the isolation ward. They gather medicinal herbs and give them to the Alraunes, who cultivate them or prepare them into medicinal herbs using methods taught by the responsible priest. Those who wish to stay after their treatment for 'Just a Disease' is finished at the ward, or those with physical disabilities, build huts on the ward's grounds and live self-sufficiently, and the Goblins farm and hunt together with those people. In exchange for those, they obtain alcohol, clothing, simple tableware, and furnishings. However, since it's a commute, the living environment is unknown. According to what the Dryad says, they wear clean clothes, but their dwelling place is dirty. The visitor this time is an Elder, albeit from a different pack. They are hoping he will give them some solid life guidance.
Actually, I went with them, and it was indeed dirty. As soon as he saw it, the Elder let out a grand sigh.
The Goblins' nest is on the edge of the Dryad's Forest, but it's likely because the Dryad suffers from the area around the nest being dirty more than the topographical reasons. Since they relieve themselves in the stream, it's clean in a sense, but it's no wonder the Dryad dislikes it. They leave the bones and whatnot of the prey they've hunted scattered around. Furs and furnishings are also covered in mud. Yet, they wear clean clothes. When I asked, it seems the people living in the isolation ward wash them for them. The reason is simple: the Dryad prohibits the use of soap inside the forest. This is caused by the Dryad.
Where to start...
The Elder seemed to be holding his head along with Robinson-san and the Dryad, but he must have thought of something because he called the females.
There are about five females. They are all mothers holding small children. When I had the Alraune translate what they were talking about, it seems he's trying to persuade the women by talking about the reality of Nakanohara Lake and saying it's for the children's future.
However, the women also grew up in this environment. No matter how much you convey with words, it's not something that gets through. While watching the mothers who just had puzzled faces, Eleanor-sama, perhaps unable to stand it, suggested having them actually see the reality of Nakanohara. She's a spirit to begin with. Human borders don't matter. Fortunately, there's a seedling of Renata that we brought before, so we decided to ask for her help. Using the power of the Northern Gram Dryad specifically, we had her connect with the Northeastern Forest.
After successfully sending the Elder and the mothers, we entered the Slug capture work. In advance, we had the Northern Gram side set up many Warm magic circles in the mountains. When we actually went to the site, quite a few had gathered. Northern Gram's method was clever; they had apparently been told by the Goblins where the Slugs were likely to be. After all, they are forest spirits. They know better than humans. On top of that, they set the magic circles. Eowyn-dono had reportedly explained to the staff he leads that Goblins could be excellent scouts and appealed for cooperation. The staff were surprised that their master had connections with Goblins, but Old Gram is a country that allowed the name Northern Gram to the first King of Northern Gram, who became sworn brothers to save the Dryad's Forest. Fortunately, there are no Demon Realms in Old Gram territory large enough for a Demon Lord's army to be organized, so they haven't encountered Goblins on the battlefield in recent years. Combined with the effect of plays featuring the forest spirit Goblins, they agreed to a trial participation. In this Amphisbaena hunt as well, since their night vision is good, they are participating along with a translating Alraune in the role of warning of the Amphisbaena's approach.
Beatrix washes only the heads with soapy water, and we put them on a small boat suspended from a bowl controlled by Subordination. Eowyn-dono worked hard and set up more than twenty magic circle traps, so it's a big catch. We transported them in several trips to the ruins of the fort used as a storage place. At the fort ruins, a two-story Slug storage warehouse had been built before I knew it. The walls and floors are made of stone, pillars are set up, and wooden boards are laid across for the roof. The first and second floors are connected. The main entrance has an iron door on the first floor, but a step is provided on the wall of the second floor so you can enter from the outside. Since Warm magic circles are set in the floor and food is scattered from the second floor, they seem to be quiet, and it doesn't seem to take much effort. More than twenty were already being kept.
"Have we gathered fifty in total? We should have realized this method sooner."
Eleanor-sama has a beaming face. Until now, they had been luring them with a mixture of vegetables and weeds, but the gathering had apparently been poor. Unlike a cave, it's in the mountains. Since it's vast, it must have been hard to walk around looking for Slugs. Fortunately, we are the pioneers in having connections with Goblins. If we do the same thing, we should be able to capture them in large quantities.
The Slugs are gathered. Next are the frogs. In the evening, we take fifty frozen frogs gathered last year out of the icehouse and line them up in the open space in front of the fort. We move the controlled Slugs there. For a while, we let them crawl around slimily, and once the frogs are slimy, we put them back. We thaw the frogs and put them to sleep with Sleep.
I don't think the Amphisbaena will gather with just that. We attached boards with Firefly and Light magic circles drawn on the tips to many poles. Since Firefly is also for illumination, we illuminate the surroundings with low output, and since the magic circles are on boards, we illuminate them upward in a hemispherical shape. We use that light to gather insects. When insects gather, frogs gather. Amphisbaena come to places where frogs gather. That's the plan. After that, we just wait for the hooked Amphisbaena to bite the prepared slimy frogs.
Four Fireflies and four magic circles. It should be quite conspicuous from above.
Moths gathered nicely, and then various insects targeting them began to gather.
We release the frogs' Sleep and control them with Subordination to make them attack the insects.
About an hour later, the Goblins reacted. It seems an Amphisbaena has approached from the river. Even with a half-moon out, humans can't see into the water. It's sufficient precision.
We are holding our breath while peeping from the second-floor window of the fort, whose walls have been frozen with Freeze. The Goblins pointed at the sketch drawn by Beatrix through the Alraune and told us of the Amphisbaena's approach by pointing with their fingers.
The first one was caught. It was a greedy one, one for each of its two heads. The effect was immediate, and it was paralyzed in an instant.
I don't know how long the slimy effect lasts, but since they are eaten up by Slugs that are slow to eat, it should be fine even if left for a night. We continued as is.
Once one came, they were caught quite frequently. They must have gathered.
Halfway through, Subordination wears off, but a mage riding a bowl that is hidden and has its surface frozen sets out and buys time by stopping the movement with Freeze.
Regarding time limits, the same goes for Light. But this was simple. Another pole is prepared in a distant place. At the right time, we light the Firefly over there. When the insects move to the new one, we move the frogs too. Then we cancel the first one. After a break, we approach the original pole while hidden, attach the Firefly, and light it, and the insects gather at the original place again. We move the frogs too. The problem is that I get sleepy and my concentration breaks, but I got through it by casting Refresh during the changeovers.
In the end, we kept the Fireflies on and gathered insects until dawn when the Firefly's effect weakened. After that, whether information was shared among the Amphisbaena or the absolute number was large, they came frequently on their own. It was near the evening of the second day when almost all of the fifty prepared slimy frogs were gone, but the harvest exceeded twenty.
When the bait is gone, it's over. We hung the frozen frogs from the bowl conspicuously, and after thawing them, we dropped them into the pond where the parents were before with a splash. Since the pond is nearby, the Amphisbaena also moved over there. While having the Goblins watch out for the Amphisbaena, we used Fireflies floating in the air to keep them from approaching. After that, we just need to finish them off by firing Holy at the paralyzed Amphisbaena or cutting off their heads, and the operation is over.
The harvest was twenty-one Amphisbaena. The profit is high, especially for the skin; even though they are young snakes, including the fangs and poison glands, one goes for about twenty gold coins. It's double that of a snake. The fangs, bones, and poison glands themselves are no different from a snake, but because the skin has high physical and magical defense, the price is high. This time, thanks to Eleanor-sama negotiating, the Sertoria group can receive one-fourth of the estimated sales profit in gold coins, excluding necessary expenses. Since the civilians are Robinson-san, Beatrix, and me, the share per person became thirty-five gold coins.
This operation had a very experimental meaning.
First is the participation of the Goblins. Under the approval of the King of Northern Gram, the coexistence and co-prosperity with spirits and friendly monsters advocated by Eowyn-dono, Aira, and Saxburg progressed to what should be called the second step. The Goblins and Alraunes were recognized as staff under Eowyn-dono's direct command. Of course, it won't be made public yet.
When we first fought the Amphisbaena, they discovered one after another without fail the Amphisbaena lurking in the water at night, which even the ghost Fiona couldn't see through, from a distance that would be difficult even during the day. The super-high-level mage who participated as staff and the fat noble who looked dull but was actually sharp were also surprised by this, and realized the power of spirits once again.
"If we have Goblins, Sense Living might not be necessary. After that, it's Light and Subordination. The normalization of this wetland is a matter that should be implemented as soon as possible, so let's think of a good method."
It's just as Eleanor-sama says. I don't even know how many young snakes... and depending on the place, parent snakes... there are, but it's certain that there are an awful lot of them. I don't know what will happen if they all become adults. However, according to the Vice-Demon Lord's story, it takes quite a long time for them to grow enough to mate and lay eggs. Judging from the size, it should be fine for fifty or sixty years. Therefore, there's no need to force it with numbers without regard for losses. Moreover, if we can successfully exterminate them, it will be a good earner. On top of that, it seems good armor can be made if the skin is processed. It will not only strengthen the Northern Gram standing army but also sell for a high price to allied nations.
Personally, it's a happy story with good earnings, but currently, in addition to the monster extermination in Nakanohara including mouse extermination, the recovery of the Northeastern Forest is once a month, and the Great Shark Festival is about four times a year. I have to make scrolls for Engrio too, and if I'm to participate in the sealing of the Demon Lord or the extermination of the Demon Race, I don't know how much leeway I'll have.