kscans

Chapter 210 - Episode 145: What Awaits in the Mountains

The scent of earth and grass filled my lungs.

In contrast to the refreshing air, when I turned my gaze into the mountains, I felt an indescribable chill, like peering into a deep hole.

The mana was thick. It wasn't as dense as a C-Rank dungeon, just as the preliminary information had suggested, but it was clear at a glance that this was no ordinary place.

"Erina-san, the Flügel and the golem, please."

"Yeah, got it."

I put the ring on my left hand and deployed my Arcane Gear. I scanned my surroundings once more.

The playful atmosphere was over. From now on, it was time for work.

"Here you go."

"Thank you. Now, Mia-san and I will activate the golems. Erina-san, please keep watch. Aira-san, do not leave the car under any circumstances."

"OK!"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't leave even if you paid me."

I turned my whole body, took the duffel bag and weapon case from Erina-san, and quickly began assembling them.

I was used to this process, and the preparations were finished in about a minute. I lightly tugged on the clasp of the Flügel slung over my shoulder to make sure it wouldn't slip. Judging it to be fine, I turned my gaze to the golem lying on the ground.

"Blanc."

I called the new golem's name, touched its shoulder, and poured my mana into it.

Since it was assembled from spare parts, its appearance was, of course, identical to Byakuren’s. But the flow of mana was still slightly different.

As I gave a small shake of my head, Blanc slowly rose to its feet. I had the golem, its hands covered in silvery gauntlets, take the longsword from the weapon case and a shield I had purchased from Shizuku-san.

"Is that the new golem’s name?"

Erina-san asked, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

"Yeah. Blanc, it means ‘white’ in French... apparently."

"I see! Then it’s Bū-chan!"

"That sounds kind of piggy, so I’m rejecting it."

"Aww, why!?"

Her usual pigtails, which she must have tied up at some point, swayed as Erina-san turned to face me.

"Just because it’s Bū doesn’t mean it has to be a pig, right!?"

"Well... I guess you have a point."

"Yes, I win!"

I averted my gaze from the victory-posing Erina-san and looked at Mia-san, who was also activating her golem.

She seemed to be finished as well, and two golems stood ready with shields and pitchforks in hand.

"These golems are ‘Ukon the Second’ and ‘Sakon the Second.’ It’s a bit long, so I’ll just call them Ukon and Sakon as usual."

She announced with a wry smile.

Clarity and the user's satisfaction were the top priorities. I had no particular comment on the names, so I simply nodded in return.

"Well then, I think I’ll leave Blanc here. As a guard, in case any monsters come for Aira-san."

"Ukon and Sakon as well. They would be a bit difficult to move in these mountains."

"My, what a luxurious escort."

Aira-san smirked, having opened the car window.

"However, the ‘Magi Battery’ isn't finished yet. If you get worried about running out of mana, please replenish it as needed."

"It’s the same for Ukon and Sakon. I think their fuel efficiency is probably better than Blanc's, though."

"Understood. I'm counting on you, new golem squad."

Of course, the golems did not respond to Aira-san's words.

...The thought that Byakuren might have given a small nod was, after all, an unnecessary sentiment.

I switched gears and turned my feet toward the dense, overgrown trees.

"We will now begin the search. Aira-san, please handle navigation."

"Leave it to me. I’m sure you'll be fine with Erina-kun there, but don't do anything as uncool as getting lost, B-Rank adventurers."

"I’ve marked this spot too! I can come back with my ninjutsu anytime, so it's okay! If you need to go to the bathroom, I'll teleport to Yamadera-san’s shrine, so make a dash for it after that!"

I nodded to the thumbs-upping Erina-san and finally stepped into the woods.

It being late September, the temperature was a bit more comfortable than in summer. As we entered the woods, which could be called a forest, it felt like it dropped even further.

The wind was refreshing, though not quite chilly. But I couldn't enjoy it; instead, I scanned my surroundings and found myself frowning.

"...I'll need to be a little careful when swinging my sword."

The spacing between the trees was fine. There was enough width for a car to pass through.

But there were many slopes. And not large, long slopes, but rather a ground full of irregularities, like many small hills.

Should I fight while flying with the Flügel? No, the branches were a bit too low for that. With my skill level, I'd get caught on them everywhere.

Breaking the branches was an option, but I wanted to avoid having my vision blocked even for a moment. I didn't even know how strong the enemy was yet.

"Leaving the golems behind was the right choice."

"Totally. It might be a little dangerous for Bū-chan and the others to run or jump here. And I’d hate for them to end up friendly-firing."

With the two of them conversing behind me, I called out to Aira-san through my earring.

"Aira-san. How’s the GPS signal?"

‘Good. I can generally see your position. Continue advancing southwest from there.’

"Roger."

I drew my sword from its sheath and proceeded slowly, while Erina-san made small marks on the trunks of nearby trees with a kunai as a landmark. She had permission from Yamadera-san.

Even though we had her teleportation, it was better to be safe than sorry. In an emergency, a rescue party might rely on these marks.

We advanced through the mountains for about ten minutes after that.

I was on high alert, watching my surroundings, but I couldn't seem to settle down because I was ‘seeing too much.’

During normal dungeon explorations, the mana in the walls is so thick that it's hard to sense the mana on the other side, but with this level of mana concentration, I could probe far into the distance.

For someone accustomed to dungeon exploration, it felt strangely off. If I got used to this, I felt like I'd have trouble when the dungeons reopened.

...Dungeons, huh.

I wonder if I'll be able to enter dungeons like before when they're opened to the public again.

Stepping in, trusting the rank, only to have a superior monster from the outside... that kind of thing.

When I think that such a thing might happen, I feel like I'd hesitate. Even if it's necessary for me to get stronger.

Realizing that distracting thoughts were creeping into my mind, I pushed them to the back of my head. I needed to focus on the job at hand.

Just then, I caught a glimpse of mana in the corner of my vision that was clearly different from the other trees.

I immediately put my left hand behind me, signaling the other two to stop.

"Enemy. Front right, about twenty meters. It's in the shadow of a tree."

"...Oh, you're right. Kyō-chan beat me to it this time."

A small smile formed on my lips at Erina-san's words. It seemed this opponent was a very quiet type. And we were currently downwind.

I owed her a lot usually, so I didn't feel like gloating. I turned my gaze to Mia-san.

"Mia-san. Can you turn the soil over there into a spear?"

"...I can. You want to use it to flush out the enemy, right?"

"Yes. When the enemy shows itself, I’ll attack with a throw. Erina-san, please capture its form in the mirror."

"Understood."

"OK."

After exchanging whispers, I turned my gaze back to the enemy. I drew a knife and took a stance as quietly as possible.

Mia-san ‘extended’ her mana to the feet of the monster, which was still in an ambush position.

"Earth."

With that single short word, several sharp spears jutted out from the designated area of the ground.

The enemy must have been flustered by this, as it leaped to avoid the spears with a bzzzz of wings.

In short, the monster resembled a ‘giant mantis.’

It looked just like the well-known insect, just scaled up. From head to tail, not including the antennae, it was about two meters long. Its two scythes were a meter long each.

‘Kch-kch-kch...!’

The monster let out a strange cry from a mouth that opened in a way no mammal ever could. The sight stimulated an instinctive sense of revulsion and fear.

Giant Mantis.

The name decided by the Dungeon Agency was rather uninspired, but it described the monster perfectly.

The moment it leaped out from behind the tree, a wind-wreathed knife flew through the air.

The mantis’s compound eyes had spotted me, but its hind leg had been damaged by the stone spear. It couldn't evade in time, and the knife sank into its chest.

Instantly, the giant mantis was thrown backward as if struck. A sound like something bursting, and a heavy impact shook the surrounding trees.

I cautiously followed the mantis, which had disappeared from view due to the uneven ground.

After walking a few meters, I found scattered white salt and a single coin on the ground. Looking up, I saw the knife embedded up to its hilt in a tree a few more meters away.

Apparently, the shockwave from the penetration had torn the mantis's body in two.

"No enemies in the vicinity... none."

"I don't see any others on my side either."

I dismissed the knife with a partial release of my Arcane Gear, reforming it inside its sheath. I let out a sigh of relief and picked up the dropped item.

It was a single coin that looked like a gold coin. After showing it to the mirror Erina-san was holding, I handed it to her.

"Aira-san. Combat has concluded. Were you able to get the footage?"

‘Yes. Got it perfectly.’

Through the mirror, Aira-san was recording with a camera. I could film it myself, but the mirror was easier to toss away in a pinch, so this was how we did it.

"So, what should we do? I think this is sufficient as a monster sighting report."

‘The order is to find the gate. Of course, if it’s too tough for you, you can retreat.’

"The opponent is a D-Rank monster, so in terms of combat power, we should be fine for now."

"I share the same opinion, Nee-san."

"Let's go, go, go!"

‘Very well. In that case, please be extremely careful.’

"Roger."

The mantis's rank was, as I said earlier, ‘D’. It was nothing more than a mantis with the strength and size of a brown bear.

...Saying it like that makes it sound incredibly threatening.

I feel like my own senses have gone numb.

‘Needless to say, the scary part about the Giant Mantis is its ability to change its body color to some extent and to wait silently for prey for long periods. Be wary of ambushes. As for its exoskeleton's strength... well, I don't need to tell you gorillas about that.’

"I’m gonna throw a banana peel at you."

‘Also, I’m currently searching for dungeons where mantises appear. ...Hmm. There are dungeons where only mantises appear, and dungeons where others appear as well. Most are insect-types. They don’t have the intelligence to use weapons, but their physical abilities are high within their rank.’

"Understood."

I finished the telepathic conversation with Aira-san and let out a small sigh.

The enemy monster specialized in ‘ambushes.’ This could turn into a unexpectedly long haul.

I’ve heard that monsters that come out of a gate don't stray too far. They expand their territory by being pushed out by additional monsters that overflow from it.

Therefore, we need to head toward where the density of monsters is high. This really isn't a job for civilians.

"By the way, Kyō-chan and Paisen, you guys are okay with mantises? You were making such a face with the spiders."

"I’m not okay with them."

‘Honestly, I want to praise myself for not dropping the camera.’

"Huh?"

I really want to take it down with a throw if possible. I don't want to fight a giant insect up close, regardless of advantage or disadvantage.

The self-proclaimed ninja tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled. I was the one who wanted to ask her if she was sane.

"Um... by the way, what should we do with this scattered salt?"

Mia-san looked down at the salt at her feet, holding her twisted, magician-like staff.

That's true. During a normal outbreak... normal? During an outbreak, the Self-Defense Force or specialized contractors would clean up afterward.

But there are no such people here. And leaving it would probably cause salt damage...

‘I don’t think we’re obligated to take care of that, you know?’

"Still, let’s at least gather it up and collect it."

"I have a big plastic bag!"

"Then I’ll keep watch in the meantime."

‘You goody-two-shoes.’

Mia-san used her Civil Engineering Magic to move the surface of the ground, gathering the salt in one place.

Erina-san then scooped it up with a broom and dustpan she took out of her Item Box and put it into a garbage bag she also produced from her Item Box.

"Wow. I brought this as an airsickness bag for Paisen, but I never thought it would be useful like this!"

‘Wait? If I threw up that much, I’d die, you know? Besides, a cool beauty like me wouldn’t puke. Even if I did, it would be like pink cotton candy.’

"Aira-san. We're on a job right now, so please be serious."

‘You’re not going to comment on the airsickness bag part!?’

Shut up. If I commented on everything, the sun would set.

"Alright, cleanup complete!"

‘Gnnn...! Fine, I’ll report your actions to Yamadera-shi and negotiate for a little extra on your reward.’

"Thank you. Well then, let's resume the search."

‘Before that.’

Aira-san’s voice turned serious again.

‘The search results just came in, but there are some subtle discrepancies between the eyewitness accounts and the mantis. It’s an insect-type monster with flying capabilities. An attack might come from above.’

"Understood. I’ll keep that in mind."

‘Good. Now, from your position... for now, try heading north-northeast.’

"Roger that."

A flying type, huh.

At Aira-san's words, I looked up and saw lush green leaves that had not yet turned red.

I was glad that the weeds were sparse because of it, but it made an ambush from above hard to spot.

"Erina-san. I’ll watch the ground, so please keep an eye on what’s above."

"OK Corral! But if a giant mantis is upwind, I might notice it first!"

"That’s fine too, please do."

"You got it! You can count on me!"

I gently averted my eyes from Erina-san, who was puffing out her magnificent chest, and re-gripped my sword.

"Mia-san. Please provide support in various ways. I’m not used to fighting in the mountains, so I’m relying on your judgment and magic."

"Leave it to me. The mountains are a Civil Engineering Magic user’s home turf."

Mia-san smiled, gripping her staff and clenching her hands in front of her chest.

I nodded back to her and started walking, resting the flat of my blade on my shoulder.

Well now. Will it be an oni or a snake... no.

Will it be a bee, or a dragonfly? That would be more accurate in this case.

With that thought, I focused my senses into both my eyes.