Mob
Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #5
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode
5 Khuhuhu, I guess the best way to attract Loli's attention is with sweets!
I
walk through the forest cautiously.
The
path was about two meters wide, with ankle-deep weeds and a wall of trees that
seemed impenetrable to humans.
In
reality, it would be possible to rush into these trees if you force yourself,
but the results of experiments by the Self-Defense Forces have proven that
there is nothing to be gained by forcing yourself through the walls of the
labyrinth.
Worst
of all, adventurers were strictly forbidden to enter such a forest-type field
because of the possibility of getting lost.
For
a while, I had Ghuouler leading the way through this labyrinth, but I gradually
became uneasy and asked the unseen Zashiki-wrashi,
"Hey,
Zashiki-warashi. Do you know how close the enemy is? Do you think it's safe?”
"Aah? Why do I have to answer such a question?”
What
came back from the void was such a tasteless reply.
“Why?
You're one of us, aren't you?”
“One
of you?”
The
child appeared in front of me with a laugh.
“I'll
tell you something first. I hate humans. Just looking at them makes me want to
vomit. As well as the slaves who do as they are told.”
Her
eyes were filled with a resentment that she could not hide.
“Give
up on seeing me as a fighting force. I don't even have the slightest bit of
motivation to do something for you. Didn't I tell you that it’s unfortunate of
you to have to grab such a defective product?"
After
saying that, Zashiki-warashi disappears again. I scratched my head.
......Wow,
what a mess. What the hell did the previous owner do?
When
a card changes masters, it is initialized and its memory is erased. However,
the feelings that are stuck in the card are not erased. The look in the
Zashiki-warashi's eyes was one of hatred toward human beings.
In
that case, should I put her card down and let Coosie out?
Such
a thought crossed my mind.
…No,
but the minimum defense is according to the rank of the card. It will be safer
with the C-rank Zashiki-warashi.
Besides,
if I put her card down here, I feel like I've lost...
"By
the way... it's so hot."
I whispered while wiping the sweat off my forehead. It's only been a few
minutes since I entered, but I'm dripping with sweat.
Unable to resist, I took out a sports drink from my bag and gulped it down. The
faint sweetness and the sensation of moistening the throat were irresistible.
I also took out a chocolate bar and bite into it. The sweetness soaked into my
body, which had not eaten anything since lunch.
The
sugar content was pleasant to my brain because I also had been using my head.
"...Oh,
hey."
As
I was enjoying my late 3 o'clock snack like that, the Zashiki-warashi, who
should have disappeared before I knew it, was looking up at me beside me.
……Hmm?
"T-that...
what is… it?"
"What...?
It's a chocolate bar."
"Ah,
is it sweet...?"
"Eh,
well, it’s chocolate."
“Hmm~n……I,
see.”
Could
it be...
"Do
you want some?"
"!!"
The
Zashiki-warashi jumped up and down like a frightened kitten. Her round eyes looked
a little bit cute.
"Ha,
haa!? No way! I'm not a kid!"
No,
you're a kid. You are a zashiki-warashi after all.
Feeling
a little amused by this girl who was too easy to understand, I took out a new
chocolate bar and handed it to her.
"Would
you like to eat?"
"Huh!?"
Zashiki-warashi
stared at the offered chocolate bar. She bit her lower lip.
“D,
do you think I’ll be lured by something like that? Too bad, it won’t work.”
"No,
I didn't mean it like that, but ...... you're right, they say that if you don't
work, you don't deserve to eat.”
I
shrugged and tucked the chocolate bar into my pocket.
What
are you going to do now?
"Oh,
uh, ......."
The
Zashiki-warashi stared with sad eyes, but eventually, she gritted her teeth in
frustration and said "Baka!", then disappeared.
…Hm,
did I fail? I thought it would be like, "Then I'll work just once, so give
me some chocolate."
Perhaps
the reason why I couldn't break through the Zashiki-warashi's stubbornness was
that she didn’t know how delicious the chocolate really was.
But
the failure just now is plain painful. I feel like I've become even more
distant from the Zashiki-warashi. No, is it the other way around? Whatever the
form, it was great that we were able to squabble. We were able to communicate.
And I got to know what she likes.
Perhaps
it was because I was thinking about that.
I
didn't notice the shadow that jumped out from my blind spot.
"Huh?
Ghouler!"
The
identity of the assailant was a gray wolf. It was probably the size of a large
Tosa dog, and it was powerful enough to be described as a ferocious beast.
The
sight of this large, ferocious wolf snarling and biting Ghouler terrified me
more than I had imagined. I felt a chill run down my spine.
The
wolf was pushing her down and biting her on the neck, and she was not even able
to put up a good fight.
No,
no. She is completely unresisting. Why isn't she fighting back?!
Just
when I was confused by the sudden attacker and Ghouler's unresisting behavior,
a bullet of light flew out of nowhere and pierced the wolf.
The
wolf screamed and rolled several meters on the ground. A moment later, its
right hind leg, which had been ripped to shreds, slumped to the ground with a
thud.
What,
what is it? Wh, what is going on?
The
answer to that question was close at hand.
“Don't
just stand there. Move that little wooden doll, quick!"
The
girl who had been standing by my side for some time before I know it said to me
in a bored tone.
Then
I finally understood. It was the Zashiki-warashi who had just attacked the
wolf, and the reason Ghouler did not resist was that I hadn't given her any
orders!
“Ghouler! If you can get up, fight back against the wolf right now! Use all your available skills!"
I
immediately give the order. Ghouler's eyes widened as if a switch had been
flipped. As if her previous movements had been a lie, she got up and attacked
the wolf with agility.
She
held the wolf, which was unable to move quickly due to the loss of its hind
legs, down to the ground and bit down on it, opening her mouth so wide that it
looked as if it would split open.
While
the wolf's pitiful screams echoed around, Ghouler devoured the wolf with a
single-minded determination.
I
was standing there, stunned by the horror movie-like scene, when I noticed the
Zashiki-warashi standing beside me with a grim look on his face.
“Ah.....,
you helped me out earlier, thanks."
I
thanked her in a slurred voice, but she didn't reply in particular.
She
was doing her job at least. Just did the bare minimum of her duty? No, she wanted to say something. I wonder what it is... Oh,
maybe…
“Oh,
yeah, right. I have to repay the hard workers, right? Here, I'll give you
this."
Following
a sudden flash of inspiration, I offered the chocolate bar, and the Zashiki-warashi’s
face brightened and she snatched the chocolate bar away from me.
"Heh,
it's not like I really wanted this. I just unintentionally put my hand in it
because it smelled so bad! Don't get me wrong!"
"Oh,
yeah. I understand. I understand properly."
Did
you really want sweets that badly? You’re like an easy-to-understand tsundere
character already, aren’t you?
But,
well, it's much better than being hard to understand. I'll have to prepare some
snacks next time.
But
more importantly, is Ghouler okay?
Worried
about her, I turned my gaze towards her, and there was no longer any wolf, only
Ghouler with a red mouth.
"...Yeah,
it looks like you are safe."
When
I approached her to check her condition, there were no more scars on the nape
of her neck where the wolf had bitten her. It was probably thanks to Ghouler's
skill, regenerating by eating corpses.
Whatever
the case, I'm glad she’s okay.
“Ghouler,
next time you are attacked by an enemy, fight back immediately. You can use
whatever skills you can use. Nod your head if you understand.”
Ghouler
nodded her head and I lightly patted her on the shoulder, saying, "I'm
counting on you.”
Now
for the loot. It is said that when you win a battle with a monster, they may
drop an item or card on rare occasions......
“Oh! A card!"
I
picked up a card with an illustration of a wolf on it that had fallen to the
ground.
It's
an F-rank [Wild Wolf] card. The combat power is ...... only 15.
If
I'm not mistaken, the purchase price up to D-rank should have been about 10% of
the list price. The list price of the F-rank monster card is about 10,000 to
100,000 yen. The Wild Wolf is a small fry among small fries, so it's about
1,000 yen.
If
you think of it as a thousand yen for a few minutes in the labyrinth, it seems
like a tasty hourly wage, but it's not like they drop cards every time. I have
heard that the drop rate of F-rank cards is only one in ten.
Considering
that there is a risk of death, it is not very fruitful at low ranks. ...... I
heard that if you get a C or above, you can earn a lot of money.
It's
always hard at the start......
I
almost let out a sigh for a moment, but I managed to endure it.
Now that I think about it, getting a card in my first battle was rather lucky.
Even more so if I think about the possibility of losing Ghouler if not for the Zashiki-warashi.
As expected of a Zashiki-warashi, a C-rank card.
Thinking that, I looked at her. She looked depressed as she stared at the empty
bag of chocolate bars.
"Was
it delicious?"
She
really is just a kid, isn't she? I asked her, and she looked at me as if she
had come to her senses.
"...Uh,
ah? It's not so bad for something that humans eat."
"If
you help me again, I'll give you other sweets."
"Oh,
are you serious!? Ah, no... ugh, once in a while, when I'm in the mood for some
snacks, I’ll think about it."
"Well,
then... look forward to it."
I
couldn't help but smile when I saw how much more obedient she was compared to
the first time.
I'm
not sure what to expect, but I'm sure we'll be able to get along better than I
thought.
Well,
should that be enough for today?
I
had actually come here today intending to fight at least ten times to get a
feel for battle, and if all went well, to clear the first floor.
I
was naive. The pressure of moving and fighting in the labyrinth was much
greater than I had expected, and it was mentally draining.
Even
though I had only been in the labyrinth for a few minutes, I was mentally
exhausted.
I
needed to think about the orders I would give to Ghouler, and I also needed to
buy sweets for the kid.
I
headed home, ruminating about today's events in my head.
[Tips]
Inside the Labyrinth
The
labyrinth is a different space, and there are various types such as forest
type, mountain road type, seaside type, tunnel type, maze type, and graveyard
type. In addition, it has been found that the season, weather, and time of day
do not change, and the food brought in does not spoil. Experienced adventurers
are younger than their actual age, so it is widely believed that the flow of
time has stopped inside the labyrinth. However, if time actually stopped, it
would be impossible to move, so there are many mysteries.
Many
adventurers take advantage of this characteristic to enjoy skiing, surfing, and
other seasonal sports in the labyrinth all year round, whether it is summer or
winter. And sometimes they let their guard down and die.
***
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