Aage threw something, and from a branch, a strange, teardrop-shaped object about 30cm long, with a pattern like tree bark, dangled. It suddenly became like a chestnut burr and dropped to the ground with a thud.
“…What in the world was that?”
It seemed that Aage had thrown something like small ice needles. The object sprouted a mass of icicles from within and shattered upon impact with the ground.
Flash-freeze bomb? If struck by something like that, even a human would instantly die. But why would Aage unleash such a deadly attack without question on such an inexplicable object?
…What even was that just now? It happened so suddenly that I couldn’t comprehend the situation.
“Preposterous… Why is *that* here! Kenturi! …Listen closely! This is bad…”
Aage’s sudden action was baffling, but hearing that, I also noticed something was wrong. The incessant chirping of insects that had been so loud moments ago had completely ceased. Furthermore, the presence of Keats and the security team, who should have been patrolling the forest, was nowhere to be felt… We had just left this spot, so where could they have possibly gone?
“The patrol members of the security team have no presence… What is going on? And why is it so quiet?”
“It’s an enemy attack… and not just any; it’s monsters called Pseudo-beasts from the Empire… Damn it, I was careless! If scouts have reached this far, the main force must be nearby… Investigate! If we’re not careful, we might already be surrounded! Understand! Don’t miss the slightest movement! Or any sound!”
Aage, unable to hide their tension, moved behind me, and we stood back-to-back.
…Pseudo-beasts? What in the world is happening?
I don’t understand the situation… Investigate? There’s no presence, not even a sound. The wind stopped, and an eerie silence spread…
When I sense a presence, I can only feel the presence of the people at the campsite… The presence of Keats and the others, who should be in the forest, is still completely absent.
However, I can faintly smell… that foul odor, like being next to a sewage ditch…? Because the wind stopped, the rustling of the trees ceased, and instead, a faint sticky, liquid-like sound of “buchu-buchu” and “zuru-zuru” could be heard from all around.
Focusing my consciousness on my cat ears, I twitched them to pinpoint the sound source… Is this sound coming from everywhere?
“…I hear sounds like dripping water from all directions… Could it be! Is this the enemy?”
“Indeed… Beasts that can mimic… that’s what we call Pseudo-beasts. Legend has it they were originally low-class slime, but the Empire modified and evolved them to an abnormal degree, repurposing them as military weapons sworn to absolute obedience! They are nothing like slimes anymore. They move without sound or presence, can infiltrate anywhere, and can mimic everything around them – even people. On top of that, they are incredibly resilient… a terrifying enemy!”
“T-Then, what about the security team…? We just separated from them a moment ago. And besides, there’s no way Keats and the others could be defeated so easily…”
“Face the current situation already… Forget about them! This is a battlefield! What are you spacing out for… Get up quickly and grab your weapons! Build a bonfire, rouse everyone, and form a circle! If this continues, we’ll all be slaughtered in no time!”
…Even if you say that, I can’t grasp it… Slaughtered…? What should I do? Aside from large insects, I’ve never even properly fought against humans. My only real combat experience was the Wyvern battle the other day. Even then, I just put out the fire and flailed around, so my experience fighting properly is practically nonexistent. I’ve only swung my sword at a stick or struck logs…
And Keats and the others, with whom I was just talking… You want me to give up on them? Give up… what do you mean?
As I stood there, my thoughts in a scramble, Aage offered a gentle smile and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I see… So it’s the same as with Ryosuke some time ago. …You people from Japan aren’t used to combat, so it can’t be helped… I’m sorry, it seems I’ve frightened you without reason…”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t know what to do either… But, I should be the one to lead everyone, right? I’m not confident I can manage commanding a fight so suddenly…”
I was the one with the most authority here… everyone knew that. The Dwarves, although employed by the guild, were essentially my subordinates. Santos and Mimimomo were employees of my shop. The merchants and their adventurer escorts, while not my direct subordinates, would generally fall under the command of any administrators or security personnel present at a campsite, so they too were effectively under my command.
The combat commander for this situation would normally be Keats, the security squad leader, but Keats was no longer here… I didn’t want to admit it, but I had no choice. This meant I had to take command… and that also meant I was responsible for everyone’s lives.
…As I realized this, my knees began to tremble on their own. I’m scared… I’m hopelessly scared! Standing on a battlefield… I had braced myself for the possibility, but never so suddenly; I had no mental preparation whatsoever… More than anything, the pressure, far beyond what I imagined, made my mind go completely blank… I tried to calm myself, but my trembling wouldn’t stop.
Seeing my state, Aage hugged me tightly, patting my back. I thought about being hugged by such a small child, but when I closed my eyes, relaxed, and leaned into the embrace, I felt strangely calmer.
“Ah… Thank you, Aage…”
“Hmm, are you a little calmer? Don’t worry, everyone feels that way on their first battle… Please excuse me, but I will take charge here! Everyone, it’s an enemy attack! All hands, grab your weapons! Gather around me!”
Aage pulled away from me and shouted towards the bonfire, spreading their arms. Two orbs of light shot from their hands, splitting into many and flying towards the surroundings. Soon… they detonated, bathing the area in a flash as bright as day, followed by a chain of tremendous explosions! Many of them burst in mid-air, and as they did, brilliant lights slowly drifted down to the ground.
“This is like a fireworks display to liven things up. They’re not lethal and can only stun, so their effect is limited to slowing them down… but this should wake up anyone who was dozing. Kenturi, I have a good idea of your situation… I won’t ask you to fight. But do not, under any circumstances, leave my side! You’re doing great just by not wetting your pants on your first battle!”
…As expected, Aage seemed accustomed to battle. They immediately fired what looked like flares during a surprise night attack. It would serve as a deterrent to the enemy, and more effectively than individual explanations, it would quickly inform allies that something untoward had happened.
The commotion seemed to have woken everyone up. Mimimomo, Mr. Santos, the Dwarf contingent, and the adventurers, dragging the traveling merchants, ran towards me.
“Owner! What’s going on! Was that her work!? What is she trying to do!”
“Aage threatening the Owner… You said you were indebted to him!”
…Mimimomo is completely misunderstanding. It seems the misunderstanding spread to everyone with Mimimomo’s words. The adventurers also drew their swords with stern faces and advanced. Right, Mimimomo usually detects enemies by their presence and sound, so she couldn’t sense this strange slime-like creature moving without sound or presence yet. I only realized it was an enemy because I was told something was there and heard that faint dripping sound. Given this sudden commotion, it’s understandable that they, like me, couldn’t comprehend the situation.
“Huh? What are you talking about…! Can’t you see we’re surrounded by the Empire’s Pseudo-beasts! It’s an attack! An attack! If you keep dreaming, you’ll be killed in no time! Do you want to die! You lot!”
“W-What are you talking about! An attack… I don’t sense any presence anywhere! Let go of the Owner!”
Momo can be surprisingly stubborn and doesn’t listen to others… It seems to be completely backfiring on her right now. Arguing with Aage like this won’t get us anywhere…
“Momo! And everyone else, listen carefully! Aage is not an enemy! She’s on our side… I don’t fully understand the situation, but it seems to be a night attack by the Imperial Army. It seems to be an enemy that our Beastkin’s senses can’t detect, but we are completely surrounded! Mimimomo… try listening carefully. Do you hear those watery sounds all around? That’s the enemy!”
As I said that, Mimimomo looked around with a serious expression and twitched her cat ears.
“…Now that you mention it, I do faintly hear strange sounds… Could it be that all of this… is the enemy?”
“You’re joking, right? How many are there! If all of these are enemies, then the entire area is…”
As expected of Mimimomo… She uses her cat ears better than I do and seemed to have grasped the full scope of the enemy force. However, at the same time, it seemed to have made her realize the desperate situation they were in. With a pale face, Momo swayed as if about to fall backward, and Mimimomo quickly supported her.
I feel like I’ve done something cruel… but it can’t be helped. It’s better for them to realize the reality themselves, as I did, rather than to grudgingly follow along without understanding anything.
“The situation is, quite simply, very bad… This is no time for pointless arguments! I’m sorry, but… everyone, please follow Aage’s command! Fortunately, she seems to have experience fighting this enemy many times, so I’ve judged that following her command is the best course of action!”
I managed to speak with a voice much louder than I expected. It’s important to make everyone think that I myself am calm, not just relying on Aage, an outsider. My knees were still shaking, but I tried my best to keep my voice from trembling. …Fortunately, it seemed to work. Yes… I can’t let this fear I’m feeling spread to everyone… I have to pretend to be a capable commander, even if it means forcing myself! That was the role I was assigned at this place.
The slimes in this world are not cute at all, and frankly, they are the enemy of the world. Some resemble DQ, but only to lure humans into a false sense of security with their cute appearances. In reality, they are closer to Wizardry’s… moving puddles. And they have optical camouflage.
