kscans

Chapter 45 - The Sea Forest and the Little Person ~Five~

"How did it come to this!!"

Currently, the Kobito-san was in the middle of a desperate escape, dangling from Pochiko-san. Below, Dolphen was racing across the water, skillfully maneuvering a simple watercraft called a Paanyu. Clinging to his back was Katsumi, his face pale and soaking wet, shivering violently. The other knights and Romel were also on Paanyus, fleeing with all their might across the stormy seas.

It all started half a day ago.

A day's carriage ride from Gesperista. The Kobito-san's party arrived in Lumiere well after dark and immediately applied for a temporary residence.

Parking the carriage in front of a building called the Royal Palace Branch Office, the Kobito-san went inside with Romel and the others. The place, which resembled a nobleman's mansion, had a simple and pleasant atmosphere. It was free of excessive decoration, giving it a tranquil impression, much like a museum.

Though the Kobito-san didn't know it, such buildings were apparently present in every major city, established to properly distribute news from the royal palace and to prevent trouble between commoners and nobles. There was even a resident knight order to handle any problems.

I see. So it's like a combination of a police box and a city office?

This office also managed the temporary residences, so Romel went with a few knights to submit the application. Seeing them off, Chihiro sat down on a plush sofa. It was dark outside the window, but true to a port city, a brilliant line of lights stretched out before her.

The night view is beautiful. I hope there's some good food.

The vast, sparkling blue ocean under a sky where seabirds fly. And the setting sun, painted by the curtain of night, sinking below the horizon.

As the Kobito-san recalled the scenery she had seen on her way here, she suddenly felt a strange presence. A static like sensation shot up her spine with incredible speed.

What? Huh?

Her whole body broke out in goosebumps. She turned her eyes in the direction of the sensation, and her face froze.

"What? What is that?"

Notified by her words, the knights turned their gazes in the same direction. There, shadows of various sizes were squirming. It was in the distant sea, but the eyes of the knights who saw it widened in an instant.

"The forest is overflowing? No way... This is bad, it's a stampede!!"

A stampede?!

It was a major catastrophe familiar from light novels. To think she'd encounter one here. It was a common phenomenon in dungeons, but dungeons weren't limited to caves. If the conditions were right, the same thing could happen on land.

And a Master's Forest would certainly meet those conditions.

The suddenly bustling Royal Palace Branch Office staff read through a report that had just arrived and hurriedly called out to Romel.

"The Adventurers' Guild is already on the move. We've sent a fast horse to the Marquis of Gesperista. Everyone, please evacuate immediately!"

Romel gave a sharp nod to the frantic staff member and ordered the knights to leave the city at once. But then another report came in, and the staff member's face turned pale.

"They say this stampede is strange. According to the adventurers who tried to intercept it along the coast... it's heading in a straight line for this Royal Palace Branch Office."

This building was on the coast. A short carriage ride would bring them right to the sea. From the distant Master's Forest, it was coming straight here? Didn't that mean the cause was here?

"Then we have to escape even more quickly..."

While Romel and the others broke into a cold sweat at the unexpected situation, the Kobito-san was thinking.

This emergency occurred the moment they arrived. Monsters that should have been attacking the land indiscriminately were heading this way, as if with a will of their own. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed likely that they were the cause. And from this creeping, goosebump inducing feeling, she sensed no goodwill from those monsters. Rather, she felt a killing intent like a rage steeped in hatred.

From their dealings with the Queens, the Kobito-san and the Frontier party were sensitive to such things. What was agitating the monsters?

"Romel, don't move from here. Something's not right. If we move carelessly, it could cause a disaster in the city."

The Frontier members gasped, stunned into silence. The Kobito-san explained her theory.

"...So, if we run away, the city of Lumiere might be destroyed out of spite."

It was indeed highly probable that the anger of having lost their prey would be directed at the nearest humans. Understanding dawned in Romel's eyes, but that was a separate matter.

"That doesn't mean I can let you be put in danger. We'll leave the city of Lumiere to the Marquis and evacuate."

No sooner had he spoken than Dolphen swept the Kobito-san up into his arms.

"Huh? Wait, but a lot of people could get hurt, you know??"

"More than that, you are precious to us. Do you understand?"

Romel smiled, though it looked like he was biting back something bitter.

What a skillful smile, hey.

While being held by Dolphen, the two of them glared at each other. Something flashed in their vision. It swooped down, grabbed the Kobito-san, and soared up near the ceiling.

"Pochiko-san?"

"Pochiko-san, what are you doing! Put Chihiro down!"

Romel shouted as if he were in a complete panic.

Calmly ignoring him, Pochiko-san continued to circle leisurely with Chihiro dangling below, a buiin sound accompanying her flight. The center of the spacious, museum like building was an atrium. The high ceiling reached all the way to a skylight on the third floor. No one could reach the two of them.

"Haha, that's my Pochiko-san. Thank you."

Pleased by the praise, Pochiko-san happily wiggled her antennae. And the Kobito-san, dangling below, giggled with a kyakkya sound. Romel and the others, who were looking up and watching her tiny, swinging limbs with frantic anxiety, felt like their hearts would stop.

"Chihiro, you're swaying, hold still!! No, that's not it, come down! Pochiko-san, I'm begging you!!"

Behind the desperately shouting Romel stood the bewildered members of the knight order.

"Wh... what should we do?"

"There's nothing we can do."

"What do you mean nothing... At this rate, we'll be caught in the stampede."

"Once Chihiro-sama has made up her mind, there's nothing to be done. Give up."

Dolphen, having reached a state of resignation and prepared himself, stood firmly before the knights like a guardian king. Behind the dumbfounded knights, a small murmur was heard.

"Chihiro-sama? Not Chihiro-sama?"

At that murmur, Dolphen's eyes narrowed with irritation. The one who had muttered was Katsumi. He didn't know why the Kobito-san was using a name from Kilfan, but that was of no concern to Dolphen.

"That's right, it's in your Kilfan language. It's written as 'a thousand' and 'to ask', I'm told."

Hearing Dolphen's words, Katsumi's eyes widened as far as they could go. Then, he looked up at the Kobito-san high above.

"Are you a tamer? Does a profession like that exist in Frontier? Magic, monsters... Why does Frontier get everything!"

The end of his sentence was laced with a bitter resentment.

Ah, I see. He doesn't know reality. He's mixing up stories and the real world, still in a tourist mindset.

"There's no such thing. Even the magic is just simple stuff with the four elements. This world isn't as convenient as you think."

"But you're taming a monster right there, aren't you! And on the way here, the people of Frontier were using magic like it was a cheat. It's full of things the Empire doesn't have."

"This world has its own principles. Sure, there's magic and monsters, but because of them, civilization has stagnated. You were in Kilfan for a long time, didn't you notice?"

"That is..."

It seemed he had some thoughts on the matter. Katsumi lowered his eyes slightly. From the Kilfan Empire's perspective, Frontier's civilization was probably crude and outdated. It would be best if they could each develop their own strengths, but humans are creatures who always want what they don't have.

"And I'm not 'taming' Pochiko-san. She's precious family. It's unpleasant to have you talk like that. This world isn't a game or a story. If you let your guard down, you'll lose your life. It's a harsher reality than Earth."

The Kobito-san, who had started her journey on the brink of death, crawling on the ground. Katsumi's dreamy delusions had rubbed her the wrong way.

"There are no cheats, and no steamrolling anyone. All you can do is live desperately in the now. If you don't understand that, you'll die eventually."

The Kobito-san was unconsciously cheating and steamrolling, but she herself had no awareness of it. She had just been trying her best to survive.

"So, is there a way to become friends with monsters? If it's not a cheat, then anyone has a chance, right?"

Katsumi's words were pleading.

This left even the Kobito-san at a loss for words.

How much more self serving can you get? I just told you this world has its own principles.

It was not Chihiro who answered Katsumi, but Romel.

"How unpleasant. Her power is an extremely rare one passed down through the Frontier royal family. And you wish to obtain it?"

Katsumi flinched at the multiple sharp glares directed at him, his hands trembling.

"So it is a cheat after all. A reincarnation bonus? And yet those gods gave me nothing."

Ah, so that's how you take it.

But the Golden King was a principle of this world, passed down from the first generation. It was no reincarnation bonus. It was something that belonged here.

A heavy silence filled the air. Just as the Kobito-san was about to speak again, the windows of the Royal Palace Branch Office were shattered with a great vibration. A swarm of black and yellow striped snakes poured in like an avalanche. The smallest were about thirty centimeters, the largest several meters. The snakes of various sizes lunged forward in a straight line.

At Katsumi.

"Huh??"

The Kilfan men shielded the stunned Katsumi, swinging their weapons. Pushing them back, Romel ordered his knights to flee the building. Just then, he heard a staff member's shrieking voice.

"Don't harm the monsters! These are the children of the Master! Do not lay a hand on the snake monsters!!"

Sea snakes!

It seemed the Master of the Sea Forest was a sea snake.

Come to think of it, I haven't heard the details about the Sea Forest.

But the bigger problem was Katsumi. The monsters were undoubtedly targeting him.

"I'm going to the Sea Forest. I'll make a pact and have them stand down! The one they're after is Katsumi!!"

As Chihiro flew out with Pochiko-san, Romel and the others followed, shouting as they went. Then, near the coastline, Pochiko-san stopped. Romel's group, having caught up, were speechless at the sight before them. There, a great number of bees and frogs were pushing and shoving, trying to stop the snakes in a massive brawl.

"What is this...?"

Something flew onto the shoulder of the speechless Kobito-san.

"Mugita!"

It was the little frog she was supposed to have left at the baronial mansion in the capital. It was holding something in its mouth, which was curved into a grin. What it held was a rolled up piece of paper. Quickly unfurling it, she saw it was a letter from Merda. It seemed she had someone at the palace write it for her.

I hope she didn't write on the walls again.

The Kobito-san's face twitched as she read the letter. According to it, Pochiko-san had sent word of a suspicious person. And Merda, connected by golden magic, had grasped the Kobito-san's destination and, with Molt's cooperation, had sent reinforcements just in case. The bees, each carrying a frog on its back, had apparently come here in the hundreds. The Kobito-san gave a wry smile at Merda's final sentence, which expressed hope that nothing would happen. Just as she was about to head towards the sea, she heard a voice from below.

"Chihiro, we're going too! Wait a moment!"

The Kobito-san tilted her head at Romel's words.

Cross this chaotic sea? As far as I can see, it's a writhing mass of monsters.

As she watched with skepticism, Romel and the others brought out several vehicles that looked like three surfboards lined up with a handlebar attached.

"This is called a Paanyu. It's a simple sea vehicle. We use them for reconnaissance and patrols, but in this situation, it's all we can use."

Huh? You can use it even in this chaos?

Before the Kobito-san's curious eyes, Dolphen was dragging Katsumi along.

"If you're the target, then come with us! You'll be a nuisance in the city. Though it is utterly against my will, I will protect you."

Saying that, he put Katsumi on the Paanyu and chanted a spell. The chaotic sea swelled, and a gently curved path of water formed on its surface.

"It won't last long. Let's go."

The lined up Paanyus floated up one after another, propelled by those skilled in wind magic. Bees and frogs flew around them, as if to protect the departing Frontier party. Everyone was soaked from the spray. Leaving the chaotic coastline behind, the monsters also began to move in unison, chasing after the Kobito-san's group as they headed for the Sea Forest. And now, they were right in the middle of a game of tag.

Really, how did it come to this!!

With a dry smile plastered on her face, the Kobito-san followed the lead of Romel and the others, heading straight for the Sea Forest.

Behind them was a massive swarm of sea snakes, chasing them with surging waves, and the bees and frogs, brawling to stop them.

Seriously chaotic.

With the same word simultaneously popping into their minds, the two from another world unknowingly exchanged a glance.

At the terrified young man, the Kobito-san grinned broadly.

No matter how desperate the situation, the Kobito-san was still the Kobito-san. Inevitably dragging everyone around her into the mix, she cheerfully went her own way today as well♪