Volume 1
Chapter 23
I Killed the
Praying Mantis
Translator : PolterGlast
"Ah, man. I
remember that Tekiru had just snapped at me, saying that it is natural for an
adventurer to leave body parts for proof of a hunt..."
I remembered how
Tekiru had lost his cool during today's monster hunt when I had been carelessly
attacking monsters without thinking about where to strike.
I think I’m going to
get another lecture from him... Honestly, it’s a pain.
"And I ruined my
clothes again... Kakyoin-san is going to be mad about this."
I looked down at my
diagonally slashed jacket. My stomach was completely exposed.
“Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do about what’s
done. I’ll just have to take the scolding.”
I began to walk,
heading back.
□□□
【Tekiru’s POV】
"To think a Red
Mantis would appear in such a shallow part of the forest, that’s
ridiculous."
"So you’re saying
Tekiru-san is lying?"
"N-no, it’s not
like that…"
"It’s
Tekiru-san’s word, it must be true."
I had already arrived
at the village near the forest and was telling the villagers what had happened.
This wasn’t the first
time I had come to this village. I had been coming here for a long time to draw
a line between the forest and the monsters of the forest.
It was now common
knowledge throughout the village. That’s why I had a certain amount of trust
from all the villagers.
Because of that trust,
the villagers didn’t simply dismiss the seemingly absurd story of the Red
Mantis and were considering whether it was true or not.
"That's the situation.
So, I’d like to borrow a horse to report to the guild as soon as
possible."
I was desperately
pleading.
A Red Mantis is a Rank
A danger level. It is a monster that I couldn’t handle alone. It is a monster
so powerful that the entire town would have to unite to defeat it.
So, I was desperately
trying to report it to the guild as soon as possible and form a subjugation
team to protect the people who lived in this area. If I were even a little
late, there would be considerable damage.
Moreover, my skill,
[Shadow Container], is a skill that exerts a powerful force in places where
shadows are deep, but conversely, it weakens as shadows become thinner.
That’s why I felt a
sense of frustration at not being able to get to town as fast as I could when I
left the forest—and that’s what was accelerating my anxiety.
Just then, as if
someone important had approached, the villagers made their way.
Walking from there was
an old man with white hair, white eyebrows, and a white beard, who had a
slightly stern look about him.
"Tekiru-dono,
I’ve heard your story, but is it true that the Red Mantis has come so
close?"
"Village chief!
...Well, I’m not sure if it’s approaching, but it definitely appeared quite
shallow."
"Hmm…"
This is the village
chief.
The village chief
stroked his beard and began to ponder after hearing my words.
"Tekiru-dono, I
don’t doubt your words, as you are a benefactor of the village, but how did you
manage to escape the Red Mantis alone?"
Although he said he
didn’t doubt me, his words and actions were those of someone who was doubting.
However, I don’t have
the time to react to that now. I ignored the village chief's words and
immediately stated the facts.
"I didn’t go
alone. I teamed up with someone and went in together. Thanks to that person
staying behind to buy time, I was able to get here before the Red Mantis. So,
please lend me a horse, so that I don’t waste his sacrifice."
"Hmm…"
Perhaps because I was
so desperate, I felt the village chief’s expression waver slightly.
It seems that the
village chief has begun to realize the seriousness of the matter.
"…Alright, let’s
prepare a horse."
"Village
chief!!"
"Oi, someone,
find a suitable horse for him."
The village chief gave
instructions to the nearby villagers.
Alright, now I can go
report to the city.
Now, the only question
is how quickly I can form a team and return to this forest—
Rustle rustle rustle
"!"
Suddenly, I heard the
sound of something pushing through the bushes from the forest.
No way… has it caught
up already?
While regretting that
Kushina-cchi had been killed and despairing that the Red Mantis had already
arrived, I looked towards the forest.
"Oh, no...don't
tell me...!"
"I-it’s
coming...!"
The villagers tensed
up all at once.
And what came out was───
"Oh, I made it, I
made it. I finally got back!"
It was Kushina-cchi,
walking with a full smile on his face, though covered in blood.
□□□
It took me a while to
get back because I had completely forgotten how I had come through the forest,
but I finally made it out.
The sunlight was
dazzling.
Phew... finally, I can
go home.
As I smiled like that,
I noticed the village and Tekiru in the distance.
"Oh, Tekiru"
"K-Kushina-cchi...?
Is that you?"
He seems agitated. Or
rather, after running away, he returned to this village.
"Are you really
Kushina-cchi? Or are you maybe someone else..."
"Why are you so
suspicious? Was I a fake?"
"No, it's not
like that..."
"? Then why are
you so upset—oh."
That's right, I
remembered. This isn't the time to be chatting casually. I need to tell him
about that.
"───! W-what is it,
Kushina-cchi!?"
"Ah...um, sorry,
Tekiru."
"………?"
"Actually...about
that red mantis..."
"───!! What about the Red
Mantis!?"
Wow, he's really
biting. Maybe that monster was a very rare beast, and Tekiru had come back to
prepare something. It's hard to believe that he would have run away in fear of
such a monster... yeah, that's probably it. If so, it's a bit hard to say.
"Well,
I...crushed it to pieces before I could collect the materials."
But it's better to
tell him myself before he finds out. It's better to get scolded earlier than
later. ...Well, it's only a small difference.
"…………What?
You...crushed it?"
"Yeah..."
"…………Huh!? The
Red Mantis!?"
"Sorry."
As expected, cutting
off proof of the target for extermination is quite common. Tekiru is so
surprised, it seems like I've really messed up.
"N-no...wait, the
Red Mantis? Into pieces? What?"
He's quite confused. I
messed up that much, huh? Should I apologize again?
Just as I was about to
apologize to Tekiru again.
"………I'm being
called."
I felt something
strange coming from the direction of the city I had come from.
"………Huh?
Kushina-cchi?"
Noticing my change,
Tekiru called my name, confused.
"Sorry, Tekiru. I
have to go."
"…………Huh? Wait, what are
you saying───"
"Well, see you
later."
With those words, I
stomped hard on the ground and headed back toward the city.
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