Chapter 109 - Chapter 108: The Black Cocoon
The third day of the third week of the third month of wind.
Waking up in the morning, I recovered just a little bit of my mana, not quite fully, as usual, and went to eat breakfast.
Basal, my roommate, was not in the room.
Probably, he is still practicing with his sword.
(He's really something, training this hard even though it's been cold for a while now.)
It is still far from the full-blown winter, but it is cold enough that I don't want to get out of my futon every morning.
There are only three weeks left this year.
According to the calendar, winter will arrive in three weeks.
Mika sat at a seat in the cafeteria and rubbed his sleepy eyes.
His appetite and his desire for sleep were both present, but the desire for sleep was winning.
It was rare for Mika to start eating his breakfast slowly and sluggishly.
"Hey, a guy from my class said something earlier..."
I heard the conversation of children eating at a nearby table.
"That guy's roommate saw that thing the other day too."
"...It seems to have increased recently, hasn't it?"
They were talking about such things.
(Saw what?)
What did they see?
While eating slowly as if half-asleep, Mika listened intently.
"But it seems like there's absolutely nothing like that in other dormitories."
"Eh, no way!? Is that thing only here!?"
"It seems like that."
"No way~~..."
What is only here?
Thinking they were talking about something I didn't understand, I continued eating.
Slowly, the sleepiness subsided, and my consciousness became clear.
(Right. I can't afford to slack off.)
Last week, because of Kistil, I couldn't go on the planned monster extermination, so I checked the monster extermination requests for this week as well.
This week's monster extermination request is not for monsters of great strength, but for a type where there are quite a lot of them.
Since it is first-come, first-served for completion, there is a possibility that someone has already beaten me to it.
(Once the quest is done, maybe I should stop by Yaroibarov's inn.)
Such thoughts floated into my head.
Kistil started working the day after the interview.
I went to visit once, but since she was seriously receiving instruction from a senior cook, I returned without saying a word.
Even though she is called a senior cook, she is only one or two years older than Kistil.
It seems they are in a hurry to master Yaroibarov-style cooking since the inn is about to open soon.
Of course, she won't be entrusted with dishes served directly to customers right away; her goal is to be able to handle all the preliminary preparations first.
Also, according to Yaroibarov, they intend to entrust her with the staff meals quite early on.
"Well, she has a solid foundation, learns quickly, and is the best."
He was overjoyed about it.
Mika finished breakfast and left the cafeteria.
Walking down the corridor towards the stairs, the door to the dorm mother's room opened.
Naturally, the person coming out was the dorm mother, Paraleira.
However, her hair was messy, her eyes half-closed, and she was still almost asleep.
(This is getting ridiculous...)
She scratched her belly vigorously, looking far from a lady who should be appearing in public.
If it were a child, they might just say, "Well, you can't do anything about it," but what about an adult doing this?
The cafeteria lady is already working hard, yet I am somewhat dumbfounded by Paraleira, who still shows no intention of doing her job as dorm mother.
But, for now, I decided to just say hello.
"Good morning."
"...Ah...?"
It seems she was truly still asleep.
Not minding it particularly, Mika began to climb the stairs.
"...Ah... nn? Mika...?"
"Yes?"
Turning around when my name was called, I saw Paraleira looking at me.
Paraleira seemed to have woken up a little more, her expression tighter than before.
But, she quickly made a guilty face.
"Ah... um, I'm sorry about the other day..."
Scratching her head vigorously, she said such things.
For a moment, I wondered what she was talking about, but it was probably about the ale she had splashed on me.
"The Cafeteria Lady told me there seemed to be some grudge involved. She didn't tell me the details, though."
"Ah, ah..."
Paraleira grimaced.
She was probably thinking of her grudge with the Court Magic Institute.
Mika let out a sigh.
"Next time, please aim properly."
"...Ah... hah?"
Paraleira made a bewildered face.
"If your head is full of blood, your hands will shake, right? Next time, please aim calmly and properly."
"Calmly, you say..."
Paraleira muttered that, then suddenly started laughing hilariously.
"Heh heh heh... Calmly? You're going to splash ale on me? You, that's..."
Paraleira seemed to find it very funny, laughing "Heh heh heh..."
Several children passed by while Mika and Paraleira were talking.
Perhaps seeing Paraleira laughing was rare, everyone looked at her with faces saying, "What's going on?"
After laughing for a while, Paraleira made a refreshed face.
"Following your advice, I will aim properly next time. Calmly, calmly, coolly. Heh heh..."
Saying that, Paraleira waved her hand lightly and walked towards the cafeteria.
Mika watched Paraleira leave, then began to climb the stairs.
Mika ran through District 3, heading for the usual takeoff and landing spot.
Arriving at the forest, no one was around.
I couldn't find the knights who had said they would seal off this area of the forest last week either.
Has the week changed, and the sealed-off area moved elsewhere?
(...You never know where you might be seen, so you should be careful when flying, right?)
Would it be better not to take off from the ground, but to climb a tree first before flying?
The same logic applies when landing; land on a tree branch first, then jump to the ground.
Even if I am seen by chance, I think this would be easier to cover up. ...Probably.
So, using "Low Gravity", I lightened my weight and climbed the trees easily.
At that moment, I saw a group of knights running from deep within the forest.
They were coming towards me.
Quite a number of them. Maybe a hundred... or slightly less?
Watching the knights from the tree, they seemed quite panicked.
"What's wrong?"
Hiding my body against the tree trunk so I wouldn't be seen, I used "Big Ear".
"...The captains..."
"...What is that monster..."
"...When did it arrive..."
"...A chimera... what..."
It was hard to hear clearly because there were so many people, but that was the gist of their conversation.
(Monster... Chimera?)
Hiding my body, I muttered.
Speaking of chimera, it is a standard monster in fantasy.
Was it originally from Greek mythology?
A monster mixed with multiple different kinds of animals.
If animals of different kinds are mixed together, no matter what is mixed, they are all classified under the broad category of "Chimera".
(A chimera appeared? Here in the forest?)
I don't know what kind of chimera appeared, but they would surely seal off the forest and investigate.
Mika let out a breath of relief.
(I'm really glad I introduced Kistil to that job...)
If we had solved it with money for just one week, there was a possibility we might have encountered a dangerous monster afterwards.
As Mika looked down from the tree, the knights went straight out of the forest without noticing him.
(A chimera, huh.)
It's not that I'm uninterested.
Mika smiled mischievously.
(Maybe I'll go take a little look.)
To be honest, I really want to see it.
This is also for future learning.
Certainly, it was not because my usual "bad disease" was throbbing.
Mika stood up straight and jumped to a nearby branch.
"Yippee!"
Mika, feeling a bit excited, jumped from branch to branch, more than ten meters away from the ground, heading towards the depths of the forest.
As Mika advanced lightly into the depths of the forest, he noticed a slightly open space ahead.
And he could hear the angry shouts of men and the roaring of a monster.
Mika calmed his excited mood and shifted to alert mode... or rather, tried to.
I'm not good at switching gears, so I'm not sure if I can get into proper work mode with this, but well, I'll go seriously from here on.
I expanded my ten-meter magic range and descended to the ground.
Hiding in the bushes, I headed towards the place where someone and a monster were likely fighting.
Withered grass made a rustling sound, but I approached cautiously.
Arriving at the open space, two knights and a giant monster were engaged in a fierce battle.
Was this a ruin?
There were places paved with stones, and debris that looked like collapsed stone pillars were scattered around.
This ruin, weathered quite a bit, makes it impossible to imagine what it originally was from its current state.
One knight was facing the monster, fighting openly.
It looked quite tough, but even so, he dodged the monster and thrust his sword deeply.
The other knight seemed to have already reached his limit.
Staggering, he was barely able to stand.
Then, he collapsed right there and lay down.
The monster, on the other hand, was already dyed completely red and seemed unable to stand up.
Even in a sitting position, it looked to be nearly 1.5 to 2 meters tall.
If it stood up, it would probably be around three meters.
"Die quickly, you dog bastard!!!"
The knight fighting the monster shouted, delivering the final thrust.
Probably, the monster will die from this.
(...There are knights hiding behind the tree over there. ...Five... six people maybe...)
I could also confirm the figures of knights not participating in the fight.
Knights who had been watching from a distance ran over and helped the two knights who were fighting.
They were handing over what looked like potions.
It seems the monster has been defeated.
It's a bit regrettable that I couldn't see it moving properly, but well, it can't be helped.
Just knowing the rough size is a harvest.
(If a chimera extermination request comes out in the future, I should think carefully about whether to accept it.)
Just by seeing it a little, it looked quite strong.
(...I can see something that looks like a mane. Is it a lion's head? The tail... is it a snake? The body... what kind of body is that? It's all red, so I can't quite tell the features.)
I wanted to confirm what kind of animal monster it was, but this can't be helped either.
Looking at the knights, they were chatting.
And the knight who was lying down got up and walked towards the outside of the forest with the other knights.
(Umm... I wanted to watch a bit more properly, but it's a pity. Well, I'll just think that seeing even a little bit is a bonus.)
Should I head for the quest now that the knights are gone?
While thinking such things, I suddenly noticed something in the corner of my vision.
(What is that? Was that thing there?)
It was a pitch-black, slightly distorted sphere.
About one meter in size, countless thread-like things were tangled around it, and to me, it looked like a cocoon.
It was carelessly placed on top of the stone-paved area that looked like a ruin.
(What, am I an idiot!? If that thing was there, I would have noticed it immediately!)
It was definitely not there until just now.
In the brief moment I looked away, it appeared without me noticing.
Thump-thump-thump, my heart beat rapidly.
Was it instinct, or intuition from experience? Something inside me was screaming "Dangerous".
But that black cocoon-like object gradually became smaller and thinner, and disappeared completely before my eyes.
(What... is it...)
Although it disappeared, I couldn't take my eyes off the spot.
It wasn't a mistake.
That black cocoon-like object was definitely there.
And then it disappeared.
Just this fact alone made me want to run away right now.
However, it was not over yet.
Now, the area where the black cocoon had been began to shimmer like a heat haze.
(Wait, wait, wait, hold on! What is this, anyway!?)
Shimmering in the heat haze, something appeared.
To me, it looked like the same figure as the chimera lying nearby.
(No way, a refill!? Seriously!?)
Abnormal phenomena were occurring one after another, and Mika was somewhat excited.
I can understand monsters appearing in the forest.
Even if it is a ferocious monster, well, such things exist.
But what was that black cocoon just now?
Moreover, as soon as the black one disappeared, a chimera appeared.
From nowhere, shimmering and appearing.
It didn't run from somewhere, nor did it fly.
(What is happening here? ...There's no possibility that this is normal, right?)
Perhaps, just because I don't know, chimeras have such abilities?
While I was stunned, the knights who were heading out of the forest came back in a panic.
They must have noticed the refill.
The two knights who were fighting earlier are there too, but they look utterly wrecked.
After all, fighting continuously in that state must be tough, right?
(...What should we do?)
Should I lend a hand?
The chimera seems to be well over three meters tall.
Its height is about the same as the Agu Bear I fought before, but its weight is probably several times greater.
It will be stronger than any monster I have fought so far.
("My equipment isn't ready either.")
The equipment I ordered before is currently being manufactured with great effort.
In other words, Mika's equipment is still the original one.
("Well, if it doesn't hit, it doesn't matter.")
Mika does not have that much confidence in his fighting style to say such things seriously.
("Should I bombard them from above?")
But I don't want the knights to see me flying.
In that case, it would be a bombardment from a considerable height.
However, in that case, if the knights are wandering around, friendly fire will definitely occur.
Well, if I defeat the monster and then run away immediately, they won't realize it was my doing, but it would taste too bad.
"Hmm..."
This is a dilemma.
Should I leave it to the knights?
But I can't guarantee that the knights will defeat the chimera.
There are things I don't want to be seen doing, but if I just watch and the knights get defeated, I will regret that too.
If I am going to lend a hand, it is now.
Rather than lending a hand after someone gets defeated, I should lend a hand from the beginning.
If not, I should leave this place quickly.
"Well..."
There is no choice to retreat here.
Mika looked at the knights.
One of the two knights who were fighting earlier was probably the captain.
That person was glaring at the chimera, but his expression looked quite pained.
He seemed to be in a desperate situation.
However, the knights waiting for orders from that captain seemed very carefree.
(If I leave them alone, they might do a banzai attack or something.)
Mika raised [Physical Enhancement] to four times, slowly stood up, and came out of the bushes.
The snake tail of the chimera was looking at Mika.
This snake had been watching me with its blazing red eyes since I was hiding in the bushes.
It probably noticed my presence.
When Mika appeared from the bushes, the knight who seemed to be the captain shouted loudly.
He was telling me not to come.
(Well, that's right.)
Two knights headed towards the bushes, and it seems they were coming towards me in a wide circle.
"I'll just take your feelings. 'Stone Bullet'."
Mika started the battle without caring.
Even if I told the knights, "Leave this to me," they wouldn't listen.
Rather, if there were knights who would say, "Well, leave it to you," I would shoot them dead first.
Bashu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shun!!!
Mika pretended to aim for the snake tail, but actually aimed for the main body.
The snake skillfully dodged the "Stone Bullet", getting grazed but taking no major damage.
And all the "Stone Bullets" were fired into the chimera's rear end.
Guguaaaaaaaooooooo!!!
The chimera, which had been facing the knights until then, raised its front legs and barked as if standing up.
Thus, it changed the direction of its body.
The lion with blazing red eyes looked at Mika.
And the snake tail of the tail was also looking at Mika.
The knights were in a panic around.
I feel sorry for them, but I don't have the time to worry.
I don't think they will listen to what I say, so I hope they escape on their own judgment.
(But, it's not effective.)
While dodging the chimera's front leg attack, Mika thought.
The damage from "Stone Bullet" is light.
I thought so during the Agu Bear fight too, the power is too low.
"Air Cutter" is the same, unless you fire it continuously in the same place quite a bit, it doesn't become proper damage.
(Is this the bill for putting it off?)
Since I knew this during the Agu Bear fight, if I had thought of improvement plans and tested them immediately afterwards, I might not have struggled here.
The snake tail of the tail tried to bite, but I dodged with a side jump.
(Not doing it unless necessary is a bad habit.)
While adjusting his posture, Mika grumbled.
Before, I had a nature of finishing work ahead of schedule.
I should have thought about it properly beforehand without slacking off.
"Hmm..."
Goooooooaaaaaa!!!
While Mika was thinking, the lion opened its mouth wide and roared to intimidate.
"Annoying. 'Stone Bullet'."
I fired "Stone Bullet" continuously into that mouth.
Bigyaffi! Fgya!
The chimera let out a pathetic sound and fell backward.
"Are you an idiot? Of course you'd put that in."
The chimera writhed for a short while.
The knights around were struggling not to be caught up in the chimera's huge body.
(You should run away properly and quickly, don't you think?)
Thinking that, Mika fired "Stone Bullet" at the chimera.
However, this time, one by one.
Also, adding gyro rotation to the "Stone Bullet".
I remembered that guns have rifling, and bullets are fired while rotating.
But, I can't fire continuously like that right away.
Each shot, I fire it after spinning it at high speed.
(Reducing air resistance by rotating, and increasing power due to speed increase. I can also expect penetration power from the rotation.)
The result seems quite good.
It is visible that I am inflicting much more damage than to the butt just now.
Probably, the "Stone Bullet" itself is shattering inside the chimera's body, increasing its destructive power.
Byu! Bashu!
Byu! Gasha!
Byu! Busha!
Byu! Gusyu!
Mika relentlessly fired "Stone Bullet" until the chimera got up.
The chimera, while writhing in pain, got up, and without closing the distance with Mika, glared at him right there.
Thus, it opened its mouth again.
(Does it have no learning ability?)
Mika, exasperated, extended his left hand and prepared "Stone Bullet".
But, what was spat out from the chimera's mouth was a terrible flame.
Bugoooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu......
Mika's body was enveloped in the Fire Breath spat out by the chimera.