RAW: http://ncode.syosetu.com/n6990ch/75/
Editor: KuroAgeha-sama
The last time I felt this sick was when I got food poisoning. I can’t even sit straight on my chair and I could barely look at my phone screen.
Since I recovered enough, I can go back translating. Luckily, I didn’t puke all over my keyboard.
Sorry for the wait and please enjoy chapter 74.
(TL: 元少年班 moto shounen han. Just because I mention “boy group” doesn’t mean all the members are boys. Elemia and Donna are not a trap)
Before we part ways, I wanted to do a last adventure with the previous boy group.
Yes, I’ve asked my parents for permission. Surprisingly, Julia-kaasan opposed the idea.
“Children must not go on quests alone,” she said.
Of course, I argued since Elemia, Miguel, Beck, and Donna were strong enough to hold on their own.
「ーStill no. It’s not about level, she said it’s all about knowledge and experience. Like how a monster would move and attack. No, even before that, we need to be able to judge how dangerous the monster we are going to meet and how to deal with them. She said some dangerous monsters don’t even look dangerous at all」
Julia-kaasan told me about a monster called Acid Slime for an example.
Acid Slime is a slightly more yellow version of regular slime. Only experienced adventurers can identify them.
Anyway, Acid Slimes have the ability to shoot strong acid to their prey.
It is said that every year there are many rookie adventurers dies from mistaking this Acid Slime as regular Slime.
「I don’t really mind if you want some experience, but if someone got serious injury it won’t become a good experience, right?」 Julia-kaasan added.
Well, it was a good reason.
「Even though I can ask Moria to accompany us, I don’t like the idea of adventuring while being babysat by someone else. Oh right, how about you ask Chester?」
For that reason, I promised to ask Chester-niisan to accompany us.
Therefore, the 7 members for this adventure would be Melby, Elemia, Miguel, Beck, Donna, Chester-niisan, and me.
An adventurer party doesn’t have any limit for their member, but most parties has 4-6 members so we have a bit surplus. However since Chester-niisan won’t interfere unless it’s too dangerous for us, practically we have 6 members.
We made a simple formation and dived into the forest near Fauno City.
***
This forest is also known as 【Newbie Forest】 by the members of Adventurer Guild. They said that only basic monsters spawn here and all of their levels are low.
Since our level was unsatisfactory and we lacked both knowledge and experience, this is an ideal place for us.
After 15 minutes exploring the forest, Donna finally broke the silence.
「I can smell slimes. There are a lot of them」
While suppressing Miguel, who was trying to rush right into it, we head towards the source of the smell. We found the slimes without any trouble.
It was hard to count those soft and flabby bodies but there must be at least 200 of them.
Slime.
According to 『Abaddon Magic Compilation』
It is known as the weakest monster.
Even though they don’t pose much danger, there are many mysteries surrounding the creature. First of all, there is no clear answer whether slimes are really a living creature. Since they have attributes, it’s possible that they are created from leftover spirit energy. However, there is no actual record of anyone witnessed a slime spawning. It is also said that magicians from ancient times could spawn slimes anytime and used them for various purposes.
The slimes are extremely interesting existence as a subject for magic research, but because of the bad results that were brought upon by the slime’s weakness, Slime researchers tend to be made light of by others. I had asked my disciples to study Slime’s breeding method. Unfortunately, despite opening various knowledge and hypotheses related to fundamental of magic studies, the idea of 『researching a slime』 was foolish and became a laughingstock.
I think the researchers who focused too much on such a prejudice is the real laughingstock.
(TL: need help here Slimeは魔法学の研究対象としては非常に興味深い存在であるが、Slime自体の弱さが災いして、Slimeの研究者は周囲から蔑ろにされがちな傾向がある。Thanks, Idling)
In short, slimes are a semi-transparent flabby gel that even rookie adventurer can hunt without much problem.
Forget 『Abaddon Magic Compilation』 for now, let’s hear what our party’s walking dictionary has to say.
「Melby, do you know anything about the slimes ?」
I asked about Melby about these squirming flabby colorful gel in front of us.
「According to Master, Slimes are a jellied form of leftover spirit’s energy. That’s why they can be found almost everywhere around Marquekt」
「Jellied? So they’re not alive ?」
「It depends on how do you classify a something as “alive”. You can say that they are in a state between spirit and living creature. Normal slimes are usually harmless. I think they fall under “plant” category in the ecosystem.
Since they don’t move much, they don’t pose much danger. But since they provide magical powers to their surroundings, periodic extermination is necessary. Even ordinary people can defeat this monster, much less rookie adventurers.
But as Julia-san said, some variant can trap other animals and monsters so we need to be careful. Especially if they are violent, they can stalk and kill their own prey」
I tried using 【Appraisal】 on a random slime.
《Slime Level：１、ＨＰ：５／５、ＭＰ：８／８、Attribute：Water》
From a glance, I think there were no acid slimes like Julia-kaasan was talking.
「The easiest way to deal with slime is by hitting them with their opposing attribute.
ーNow look. Spirit of fire, embrace our enemies with burning flames!」
Melby attacked the slimes with 【Spirit Magic】.
It was the slime that I appraised.
The spirits set the slime on fire.
After a few seconds, the slime made a damp sound and disappeared into thin air.
「That slime has water spirit attribute. So by hitting it with fire attribute magic, which is the opposing attribute, it disappeared into thin air」
「How do you distinguish slime’s attribute?」
「Ed, you can use 【Appraisal】 to quickly distinguish them but you should remember the general way as well. Look over there, do you see the traces that slime crawled on?」
「……it’s a bit wet」
「Correct. If the slime has water attribute, the place they crawled on will be wet. If it’s fire attribute, it should be dry or burning. If it’s wind attribute, there are wind patterns around them. And if it’s ground attribute, the ground is softer」(TL: softer/fluffier/mushier)
Thanks to Melby’s attack, the slimes were focused towards us.
…iya, I didn’t realize because I saw them looking, but I caught some reaction from my 【Sense Danger】, so it’s no doubt that we were the target.
「Ω Gaia」
I used 【6 Basic Attribute Magic】 to generate soil and attacked a wind attribute slime.
The slime made a hissing sound and dissipated.
I think it didn’t die from the damage but from the reaction with the earth attribute.
It’s like when you put some salt on a slug.
「How can we kill them with weapons?」
「I’ll show it to you! ーttei! yaaah!!」
Miguel jumped out and started bashing the nearest slime with his fists.
It’s HP decreased slowly. As expected, physical attacks didn’t work that well on slimes.
Miguel hit it a few more times and the slime disappeared with popping sound.
「Hey Miguel, don’t forget to collect the manastones」
Beck reminded Miguel.
Following Beck’s line of sight, some kind of colorful pearl is rolling near the slime.
Manastone.
It’s a pearl like lumps on monster’s body, usually near its throat.
Manastones grows gradually from the time the monster was born, so if you look at the manastone, you can estimate the monster’s age.
What is this? A gallstone?
In my previous life, I saw images of gallstones from a dissected gallbladder, I kept worrying about mine ever since.
On very old monsters, the manastones grows too big and create some unnatural bumps around its neck. Just listening to the explanation made me feel uncomfortable.
About these manastones, they don’t actually have much use.
Even though it’s called “mana”stone, it can’t store mana, so it can’t be used as a mana battery.
However, since it’s a convenient proof that you defeated a monster, Adventurer guilds will buy the manastone as the reward for subjugation.
(TL: to any of you who don’t understand, they used manastone as proof of subjugation quest instead of monster parts like goblin ears)
As expected from trained assassins, we exterminated the slimes quickly.
Suddenly I noticed something while destroying slimes.
「…Maybe」
I caught a wind attribute slime and hit it with earth attribute slime.
Both of them destroyed each other.
Everyone stopped and looked at me.
「Ed, what are you doing?」
「Iyaa, since slimes are jellied form of spirit energy, I thought they would disappear if I hit them with another slime with opposing attribute」
It feels like solving a collapse puzzle. (TL: example of collapse puzzles are Bejeweled Deluxe, Spongebob Collapse, and *sigh* Candy Crush)
After the discovery, our slime-extermination speed was increased even further. We cleaned up a group of 200 slimes in about 10 minutes.
Obviously, there were no injuries.
「Niisan, does slime often group together like this?」
「No, usually there are only a few of them together. But when a lot of slimes spawned together, other monsters may have increased as well so we need to be extra careful.
……Maa, looking at the situation before, I think we should be fine」
Just as he ended his sentence, he looked at the forest with vigilance.
Then I heard *hyuuuuuu* sound like a kettle.
「un!? Be careful! There are *eye-pokes incoming!!」(TL: Mezashi)
Chester-niisan gave us a warning.
Mezashi? Dried sardine? In a forest? (TL: mezashi is roasted sardine)
I realized the next instant.
Something sharp was flying towards us at great speed.
「《Mad Bull Stance》!!」
Beck stood in front of everyone and increased his defense.
「《Stronghold Fortress》!」
I made an earth wall around Beck using 【Uninscribed Invocation】.
It’s the combination that we used to fight the young firedrake.
*dogadogadogadoga*
Intense sounds were heard and something slammed into Beck or the wall.
It was birds.
The beak was thin and very long. Just the beak alone occupies half of its body length. Meanwhile, the body was a bit bigger than a sparrow but less than crows. It has shining red eyes and bizarre looking tongue between its beak.
The bird flew in high speed and attacked us.
「It’s an eye-poke bird. They’re famous for killing newbies. They don’t pose much danger if you calm down and avoid them or use a shield, but depending on where they hit you, the wound could be fatal. As the name says, it often targets the eye butー」
He stopped and observed the fallen eye-pokes.
The eye-pokes seemed to be in a daze after crashing and they twitched on the ground.
「If you block them with a shield, they will knock themselves like this. It’s easy to earn money this way. They always make a unique *hyuuuu* sound right before attacking so it’s not hard to notice them」
While saying so, niisan took a dagger from his waist and stabbed an eye-poke.
「It’s a nice job for the part-time adventurer and some of them even buy iron shield just to hunt these birds. Hunting them doesn’t require any skills or fighting experience. They’re not very tasty but at least they are edible」
「Part-time adventurer?」
「There are some farmers who work as adventurer during slack seasons. About half of new registration in the guild are from part-time adventurers」
Somehow the story was quite depressing.
「……okay everyone. Have you noticed?」
My older brother looked around and said so.
Of course, we noticed.
Not only Elemia with her excellent ability as a scout, but Donna had【Keen Hearing】 and Miguel was also talented in detecting signs despite his appearance.
Beck is the only one who didn’t notice it. It’s not that he’s insensitive, it’s just the other members are overly sensitive.
「All of Ed’s friends sure are excellent. It feels like I might get overtaken soon」
Niisan shrugged and took a step towards the back.
It’s a sign that he was going to support from backrow.
The slimes extermination could be done like puzzle and the eye-poke birds were slamming themselves to death, but it didn’t prove anything about our power.
Right here, the perfect opponent appeared.
「ーMore than 20 goblins, about 20 orcs, and about 15 evil dogs」
Donna said nervously.
Goblin’s appearance is like an evil-version of a dwarf while orc looks like a pig standing on 2 legs. The goblins are about the same size of a human child but I heard that orcs are taller than average adult male. Both of them used primitive weapons.
Evil dogs are said to be a monsterized stray dogs. Like wild dogs and wolves, they hunt in groups with their sharp nose and their prey can’t escape. After becoming a monster, their bodies grow a bit larger and their fangs and claws became sharper.
「It seemed that the goblins and the orcs are gathering together. Some goblins are equipped with bows. There are some goblin mages as well. Meanwhile, many orcs are equipped with metal shields. Ah… it seemed that a group of harpies comes from the sky. There are about… 7 of them I think」
Elemia added.
You understand that much from the signs alone?
My level of 【Sense Presence】 should be above her. Is there any trick to read presence apart from skills?
「It seemed that they come for the slime’s mana, ne?」
Chester-niisan added
「Judging from their number, it’s best if we withdraw unless Julia-kaasan or Moria partying with us… so what are we going to do?」
「Let’s do it, Edgar-anchan!」
「……un, I’ll protect you guys」
「maybe… maybe we can do it」
「e…Eeeeh!? B-but are you sure?」
Miguel, Beck, and Elemia answered with enthusiasm.
Donna was the only one surprised but she didn’t look uneasy about it.
「It’s alright. Let’s do it, niisan」
「Very well. This time, I will participate as well. I’ll clean off the harpies, you guys take care of the rest」
As he declared, he took 3 arrows from his quiver, tucked them into his bow, and shot at the harpies in the sky.
Each of 3 arrows slightly changed its trajectory and pierced another harpy.
「Amazing!!」
Miguel shouted.
But even without him shouting, the goblins and orcs roaring can be heard from the forest.
「These guys can’t be compared to the Firedrake’s roar」
Beck came to the front and put up his shield while saying reliable words.
It’s the huge duralumin tower shield that I gave him when fighting the firedrake.
Donna hid behind it, taking something like a ball of firework from her pouch.
「Ja, will Edgar fight by my side?」
Elemia and her 【Fatigue Transference】seemed to chose to fight with me. Melby was by my side as always. Miguel was left behind.
「Leave Edgar’s brother’s protection to me!」
He declared and entered my brother’s cover.
「「We will show them our power!!」」
And that was the cue to our fight.
***
On the way home…
「It was a big hunt」
Chester-niisan nodded to my words.
「Actually, those number of enemies would give any low-leveled adventurers a run for their money. Are you guys really E-rank?」
「Are you asking me that now? Anyway, is this happen often?」
「If this often happening, we will have many casualties… Maybe because there are large quantities of harpies this year. It may be influenced by that」
「Come to think of it, what caused their abnormal behavior in the first place?」
「I don’t understand it myself. In the case of harpies, if we can kill the queen who leads the flock, they would escape to save themselves. Unfortunately, we haven’t killed any queen this year」
While we were talking, we arrived at Fauno City.
「Edgar and Elemia are going with Edgar’s parents to the royal capital. Donna is going back to Ganash-jiji. It’s going to be lonely here」
Miguel became depressed.
That’s right. Our family was heading to the Royal Capital Monnochanus. Alfred-tousan had to explain the chronology the previous incident to His Majesty.
Donna and Ganash-jiji also said that they were leaving Fauno City at the same time and heading their hometown Sonorat. I heard that they wanted to build a tomb for Donna’s mother.
After that? When I asked Ganash-jiji he answered.
「The poor child was locked in a cellar for too long. I want him to travel here and there a bit」
And that Donna herself too.
「I was brainwashed by 〈Yatagarasu〉, I’m not strong enough, maybe because of the lack of experience. Back then, I know nothing about life outside my village. If I know, I may be able to notice things」
That being said, I agree with Ganash-jiji’s opinion.
Donna was concerned about the other children in the kid’s room back in Crow’s Nest, but recently they have a prospect for the future.
Dad had borrowed a vacant house in Fauno City as a place for them to stay, it was originally an inn. The elderly couple who own the building offered to take care of the children as well.
Since Donna was one of the older kid, she felt responsible for the younger children, so she went back to check on them from time to time.
The elder couple and the children confirmed that they were doing well, so now Donna could focus on doing whatever he wanted to do.
「Wasn’t Sonorat in an internal conflict, is it really alright?」
「Un, I decided to ask Huffman-san’s party to escort us. Beck was also born in Sonorat」
「What the hell! So Beck will come with you as well!?」
Miguel was surprised.
「Edgar and Elemia are together, Beck and I are together. So Miguel is left alone?」
Donna poured some venomous words and laughed.
「Gah!!」
It seemed that Miguel was seriously depressed.
「Don’t worry, we will come back as soon as possible」
Donna tried to comfort Miguel… Oi! Aren’t you the one who hurt him in the first place!?
「U-umm… Are we going to be 『Previous Boy Group』 forever? How about we name our group?」
Elemia asked nervously.
「Yeah you’re right! It’s weird calling ourselves 『Previous』 all the time. Let’s think for a name!」
Miguel rode the conversation and decided a name for us.
「Jaa, dragon busters!」
Miguel proclaimed.
「No, we don’t even defeat dragons」
Beck coldly rejected him.
……Let’s keep silent about my 《One who beat the dragons – Dragon Buster》 title.
「How about blue bell orchid? I think there are some near the nest」
Elemia suggested a name. (TL: 青鈴蘭 / aosuzuran / blue bell orchid)
「Umm… Elemia, let’s be quiet okay?」
This time Miguel rejected her.
「Ususake Mushrooms…… no… forget it」
Donna tried to add an idea but rejected it herself.
「Okonomiyaki?」
「Those are just food you guys wanted to eat!」
Miguel looked at Beck in scorn.
「The only one that connects us… something besides Yatagarasu… amida-sama?」
Elemia murmured.
「amida-sama… pure land sect… ikkou-ikki」(TL: monks and peasants uprising)
I failed to watch my mouth.
Miguel bit into my words.
「What is ikkouikki?」
「N-no, it’s nothing」
「Okay but what is it?」
「It’s… It’s when people who believe in Amida-sama rioted… in my previous life… 」
I replied reluctantly.
I had explained to everyone that I had knowledge from my previous life.
It would be a problem if I had to talk to the others when they realize later on that Edgar at that time really was eccentric.
It’s easier for us to speak with each other and asking them to keep it a secret from each other is troublesome.
Of course, the main reason I revealed my past was that I don’t want to keep it a secret from them.
(TL: help pls 後になって、やっぱりあの時のEdgarは常識外れだったと気づいて、周りに話したりされると困ったことになる。Thanks, Idling)
「Isn’t that good? But the name 『ikkouikki』 is a bit mouthful… Yosh! Let’s go with 『Ikki』!」
STOOOOOOP!!
(ED: YAMEROOOO!!!)
(TL: イッキ is read ikki. It means “drinking alcohol fast without breathing” and said repeatedly in parties.
kanpai is equivalent with the elegant cheers
ikki is equivalent with the brutal CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG!!!)
「H-how about rebel resistance at least?」
「But shouting 『We are the Rebel Resistance』 right in the middle of a city is a bit…」
Ugh… Damn you, Miguel.
Damn you and your perfect and rational reasons.
「Besides, I don’t really mind since people don’t understand what 『Ikki』 means」
Donna agreed with him.
「It was Edgar who connected us so it’s good to be named something from Edgar’s previous life」
Elemia… you too…?
「I guess it’s okay. Ikki… It seemed like powerful force from the bottom of your stomach. It sounds mysterious」
BEEEEEEECK !!!!!
「Jaa, we are graduating from 『Previous Boy Group』 to 『Ikki』!」
「Yup!」
「Okay!」
「It’s sounds good!」
Under the sunset, under this really extraordinary situation, I couldn’t tell these 4 people to stop…
That is how I formed the group 『Ikki/Chug』 in the different world.
If you think about a group of 6 children saved by the namu-amida-butsu, it didn’t sound that bad.
As usual, let’s play a game.
You know the game.
It’s not that game (You lost BTW)
To be honest, I lost count so find as many as you can.
Special Thanks:
- 刺し (Yuushin)
- Rezel
- KuroAgeha-sama
- Idling
- Kumachi
- Pantasma Namer
