34 - Chapter 30: Reinforcements Visible in the Steam
Marie is difficult to use as a yuri character, but I feel she's becoming easier to use as the one who takes the fall.
『Mmm...』
When GrimEdda regained consciousness, the sky stretched across his field of vision. He felt the ground against his back. And...
"Oh, you awake?"
The human he had been facing, Later, was sitting cross-legged on his stomach, looking down at him. GrimEdda finally understood that he had lost.
『A human male...』
"I'm Later. Remember it, Divine Bird."
Later, physically asserting his dominance, crossed his arms and gave a grin. He didn't let on that he had been enjoying fluffing the bird's feathers until just before GrimEdda woke up.
『Then call me GrimEdda. Divine Bird is too grandiose. That is nothing more than a nickname humans arbitrarily gave me.』
With a sigh of resignation, GrimEdda closed his eyes and continued.
『If you're going to eat, eat only me. In exchange, let my kin go.』
"No, don't ask for the impossible."
GrimEdda turned his gaze toward the source of the fastest retort delivered in unison by the Three Idiots. He saw the flock's children climbing onto the shoulders, heads, and palms of the Serious Breakers party, with the female chickens at their feet.
Having heard the leader's words of resignation, which could be taken as taking responsibility, they were chirping and crowing noisily as if to say, "Village Chief!" or "Papa!" or "Honey!" Consequently, no matter how much the Three Idiots were becoming dyed in the ruthless ethics of this world, they couldn't bring themselves to say, "Well then, let's gratefully crush them and have a chicken festival."
"More importantly, are you the boss of this area?"
『Originally I was not, but recently, yes.』
"Huh? What's that mean?"
『Actually...』
At Later's question, the party frowned at what GrimEdda told them.
●
"Kuaaa... it really soaks in... my first hot spring in this life..."
"Ahhh... it's been a while since a hot spring... when was the last time I went in my previous life..."
Having returned to the elf village, the party was finally able to soak in the hot spring they had longed for.
"Here, Later. First, a drink."
"Oh, thanks, Sensei. Then, one for you too."
Geoglyph and Later, who had brought a bucket and rice wine into the men's bath, poured drinks for each other and downed their cups.
"Kaaah!"
They let out shouts of joy that smelled of middle-aged men.
"So? Sensei. What do you think?"
"Hmm?"
As Later asked while pouring more wine, Geoglyph recalled GrimEdda's story.
Originally, GrimEdda and his kin did not inhabit Niyakando. According to him, they lived further northwest, or more accurately, in the Hakufu Mountains in the northeast of this continent. Location-wise, it was beyond the Empire's border, across two other countries. In terms of distance, it was nearly 20,000 km even in a straight line.
When asked if they had migrated like migratory birds over such a distance, GrimEdda shook his head.
According to him, one day, the entire flock was suddenly summoned to this place. He said there was no mistake that a summoning teleportation circle had deployed beneath their feet at that moment. And beyond the teleportation circle, there were suspicious humans wearing hoods. An enraged GrimEdda literally kicked those humans away, but some managed to escape. He believed that the suspicious humans who had attacked the Serious Breakers this time were those same people returning.
In the end, having been summoned and then left abandoned, GrimEdda began to act to ensure the safety of the flock. Since he needed a territory regardless, he quickly subjugated the local master, the Crimson Bear that ruled the foot of Niyakando, and settled in by seizing its domain. It turned out that the driftwood blocking the river were wooden debris created by the aftermath of that battle.
The river's water volume returned, and the cause was identified. It wasn't something that would continue to happen, and since GrimEdda seemed willing to keep an eye on it from now on, the anomaly was resolved.
However, the Three Idiots, and naturally Latia and Kazuha as well, noticed something.
"Well, it's probably not a coincidence. The Earth Dragon incident too."
In the case of the Earth Dragon, a creature that originally did not inhabit that area had appeared.
Who, and for what purpose, questions arose endlessly. This time, GrimEdda did not seem to be manipulated by Beast-Frenzy Orbs or anything similar, but if he weren't a powerhouse praised as a Divine Bird, there might have been a possibility of being manipulated like in the Earth Dragon's case.
No matter how you look at it, the situation was becoming fishy.
"That said, we're just adventurers. It's fine to deal with that after we get a request from the authorities."
He shrugged casually, adding that they would report it to the guild for now.
"I guess you won't say we'll solve it ourselves after all."
"Even if I worked myself to the bone in selfless service. Humans can't do something like self-sacrifice unless something inside them is broken. The more serious a person is, the worse the reaction when they feel betrayed, and they end up breaking and unable to return because of that reaction."
"You mean the more serious they are, the more they swing from one extreme to the other?"
"Exactly. That's why it's best to relax as much as possible and just wing it. I'm not a public figure or anything anymore."
"I'm relieved to hear that. Hero moves aren't my thing."
"Well, I won't deny that thanks to becoming younger, I've returned to being somewhat naive. But I'm not so fresh or ignorant that I can act tough and say I can solve everything myself."
As the two smiled wryly, voices could be heard from the hallway side.
『Older Sister! We're going to the family bath together!』
『Damn it! Damn it! I'm going to the women's bath! I want to enter the women's bath!』
『Gotcha!♡』
『Hiee!? You two idiots!』
With the sound of running and commotion in the hallway as background music, Later jerked his chin.
"So that's why you sold that princess."
"I mean, wouldn't you hate it? Having those two have their naked bodies seen by that Marie."
"No doubt. Peeking in a hot spring is a classic event and exciting in fiction, but in real life, it just lowers your favorability..."
"Besides, my hands can reach around the back, and at the same time, I don't want to leave that Marie, who has now become legal, alone."
Therefore, Geoglyph had whispered to Lilitia, "It seems there's a family bath, how about you and your older sister have some intimate time?"
『I! I am going to the garden of women, the Paradise! I am going to the Promised Land, the Lost Jerusalem!』
『I won't let you escape, Older Sister!♡』
『Aaaaaaaah!』
Whether her legs were grabbed and she was being dragged, the hallway side became quiet after the sound of nails scratching echoed.
"What a nice bath..."
Ignoring that development, which was like the ending of a horror movie, through extra-legal measures, the two idiots began to sing "Viva Non Non."
●
Meanwhile, in the women's bath where peace was maintained in such a way.
"The water is lovely..."
"It is. Recently, temperature adjustment has been difficult and I couldn't soak satisfyingly, so this feels great... By the way... Kazuha, you're the type who looks thinner in clothes. I'm envious..."
"Latia-sama, your skin is also fine and beautiful, isn't it?"
"It's just a racial trait. Thanks to that, only a very small part of me doesn't grow large."
"Ahaha..."
"Still, I wonder why Marianne and Lilitia are separate?"
"Later-sama said something like 'collateral damage,' but I wonder what that means?"
"Those three sometimes use words that even elves don't know..."
Whether such a conversation took place or not.
●
On a terrace where only the moonlight was the light source, a man threw his voice toward the presence behind him.
"The result?"
"Favorable. As usual, we cannot specify the summoning, but even just letting them run wild in enemy territory without Beast-Frenzy Orbs will be sufficient as a military force."
"I see," the man nodded without looking back, and this time the presence asked.
"How are the procurement preparations?"
"The accumulation of supplies under the guise of the festival is complete. The personnel as well."
"Then, shall we attack as soon as it's finished?"
"Yeah, it's not the usual playing around. I'll be counting on the power of you Delgamiride Cultists."
"As you wish," the presence vanished, and silence returned to the terrace.
"This time, I will definitely destroy you... Triad..."
The man's mutter vanished into the night wind, known to no one.
To be continued tomorrow.