“Damn it.”
The person in a bad mood since morning is the leader of the party I’m in.
Mars-san, also known as “Crusher” Iron Fisted Fighter Marsmarukke.
A veteran adventurer of the upper class B-rank.
I am Hileesh, the “Porter” of Mars-san’s party.
“Mars, don’t get so angry~♪”
“That’s right, this request is a long battle. Let’s take it easy~♪♡”
Party members.
Lot-san, the “Long Spear User”.
Zerze-san, the “Female Mage”.
Mars-san tried to go to the destination early in the morning.
He was found out by another party leader and is being appeased while in a bad mood.
Lot-san appeases him with his usual lightheartedness.
Zerze-san, holding up her ample cleavage with one arm, teases Mars-san like an older sister would tease a sulking child.
Zerze-san, I think I’m going to get a nosebleed, stop it!
“But, that guy…”
“Easy there~, Mars has some fault too~♪ It’s better not to make a fuss. If we succeed in this request. We’ll be promoted♪ No doubt about it~”
“…Hmph.”
As Lot-san says. If we complete this special request.
The entire party will be promoted.
I’ll finally be able to join the ranks of veteran B-rank adventurers♪!
“Heh, still a child♪”
“I’m an adult!”
“Okay, okay, we’ll just go with that, I’ll let you have it♪♡”
“…D-don’t show me your cleavage///”
Zerze-san lifts her chest again and teases Mars-san.
In that state, we arrived at the hidden gem… our destination, along with other parties.
Well, we’re still at the entrance.
There’s a sign that says “Hidden Gem Entrance” in the meadow.
“Everyone! Stop!”
“Huh? That bastard… the leader of this subjugation force…”
A voice from some party leader suddenly called out a halt.
Mars-san became displeased again at the voice… the order.
Give me a break.
“Hileesh, Mars is really short-tempered, isn’t he~”
“A little, Lot-san…”
Mars-san can hear. After all, he’s listening.
And please don’t put your hand on my shoulder.
I’m already carrying everyone’s luggage.
“Party leaders! Gather around!”
The person who gave the order again gathered Mars-san and the other leaders in one place.
He proposed a discussion to efficiently subjugate “something,” the target of this special request.
“First come, first served, right!”
“You should have told us yesterday, if you were going to do that.”
The party leaders complained.
They took their members and went ahead.
We also went ahead because Mars-san told us, “Let’s go. I don’t want to be associated with them.”
A few parties remained.
The remaining parties will probably cooperate, but.
It doesn’t matter.
In the meadow, edible small animals and birds were resting and chirping. They took flight into the sky.
No rabbits or snakes were in sight.
It’s probably because of “something.”
“Huh?”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Quiet. You all be quiet too.”
Mars-san noticed something.
Lot-san tried to ask Mars-san what he noticed, but.
He was told to be quiet, including me and Zerze-san, and we fell silent.
I’m not a combatant, so I was sandwiched between Lot-san and Zerze-san, and I scanned my surroundings.
Ah, this time we could hear it too.
The screams and angry shouts of the parties that went ahead…
“Let’s proceed with caution.”
“Yes.”
“Yeees~♪”
Zerze-san is still taking her own pace.
We cautiously approached the entrance to the forest.
Then.
We understood the situation of the preceding parties.
It’s a trap.
A trap where pitfalls and sharp branches spring out.
“Oh my! “Something” is intelligent, isn’t it~”
“Intelligence of a monster is irrelevant, who knows!”
“Mars. Whether “something” is intelligent or not, isn’t it dangerous to raise your voice?”
“Lot-san… No, it’s nothing.”
To Zerze-san’s words praising “something.”
Mars-san got angry.
Lot-san said that making noise would give “something” information about our arrival, safety, and numbers.
I also agreed with that opinion. Stop glaring at me!!
“Tch. Watch your step and the bushes. Let’s go.”
“Yeees~♪”
“Ooh♪”
“Y-yes…”
We passed by the parties caught in the traps and being treated, and headed deeper into the forest.
This forest is also a treasure trove for novice D-rank adventurers.
The things to watch out for are bears and small edible animals that have transformed into magical beasts.
“You all get it too!”
“You should save us!”
Because we bypassed them.
The members of the trapped party shouted accusations.
…I thought they were trying to outwit us and others.
What harsh words.
“Let’s go quickly.”
Mars-san is also taking advantage of the situation this morning, but.
He puts that aside and urges us to hurry.
“Whoa…”
“…Nasty trap, huh.”
“Could “something” actually be human (a murderer)?”
“Human or not, can it beat us?”
We triggered the trap set by “something.”
However, we just barely, or perhaps luckily, dodged it.
Who would have expected a triple trap?
Mars-san discovered that the ground had been dug up unexpectedly.
Lot-san confirms with his long spear if it’s a pitfall.
*Thud.*
The dug-up ground fell. While we were thinking it was a pitfall.
From the bottom of the hole, a cleverly hidden string extended through the ground to the bushes on the right and was pulled taut.
We turned our attention to the bushes on the right.
Then, from the bushes, a volley of stones flew out in an arc… but not directly at us.
Did they try to create a double trap and fail?
I thought so, but I was wrong.
*Rustle.*
*Rustle.*
The stones fell into the bushes on the left, shaking the bushes irregularly.
Amidst that sound, the sound of a third trap being activated was mixed in.
*Rustle- rustle.*
From the bushes towards us, dozens of sharpened branches, coated with some transparent liquid.
Mars-san defended with his iron knuckles equipped in both hands in a cross shape.
Zerze-san cast “Wind Barrier” with a short incantation, and “Defense Up” to enhance Mars-san’s defense.
Followed by Lot-san’s long-spear technique.
We repelled dozens of wooden stakes.
Mars-san seemed to have been grazed on the leg, but.
Thanks to Zerze-san’s help, the poison coated on the stakes did not enter our bodies.
After defending, we cautiously examine the bushes.
That’s when we learned it was a triple trap.
We proceed cautiously into the forest, on guard for any obvious traps.
We cast our gaze around the traps as well.
We’re crossing a stone bridge by hitting it first, as the hero of another world’s family motto dictates.
Mid-forest.
“There were quite a few traps, but they were easy for us♪”
“To set so many in less than half a day.”
“What on earth is ‘something’~?”
“…Um, it’s dangerous ahead. Should we take a break soon…?”
“A break…?”
“Let’s eat lunch early and recover from the fatigue of navigating the traps.”
“I want to rest too~~♡”
“I’ll… I’ll prepare it.”
I spread a sheet on the ground.
I took out portable food from my luggage bag and distributed it to Mars-san and the others.
Zerze-san conjured water with magic, transferred it to a small pot, and added powdered tea leaves.
I brought it to a boil with a heating magic tool, poured it into Mars-san and the others’ cups, and handed them over.
Finally, I poured some into my wooden cup and.
We started an early lunch.
We remained vigilant.
Especially of the bushes.
We also kept an eye on the tops of the tall trees.
“Something” could attack us from anywhere.
The forest was full of traps.
If we couldn’t defend without panicking. We would be cornered by traps and “something.”
“Hiiiiii!”
“Aaaaaah!”
The screams of someone from another party echoed through the forest.
Mars-san and the others thought the sound was distant and ate their portable lunch.
I was a little scared, but.
I was embarrassed to be scared alone, so I bit into my portable food.
After finishing our early lunch, we packed up the tools we had taken out into our luggage bags and put them on our backs.
We cautiously moved deeper into the forest, wary of “something” attacking and revealing itself.
Chirp chirp.
Caw caw.
Rustle rustle.
It seems there are many small animals deeper in the forest.
Thanks to that, the small animals coming out of the branches of trees and bushes along the path.
They are wearing down our nerves more and more.
Zerze-san is still her usual self. Lot-san’s carefree attitude means we don’t overreact. It’s as usual.
“Kyu?”
A rabbit jumped out in front of us again.
It doesn’t move immediately.
Because there might be a trap.
If the rabbit looked at us and ran away, we wouldn’t chase it.
Only when it tilted its head, looked at us, and didn’t move.
Lot-san would drive away the rabbit with his long spear.
We wouldn’t step forward carelessly. We wouldn’t deliberately step into a trap.
This is our usual exploration.
This usual routine is the achievement that has allowed us to rise to the rank of veteran.
“Shoo, shoo.”
“Kyu!?”
“That was a cute rabbit~♪”
“Be vigilant. There are no traps, so let’s go.”
Mars-san lowered his voice.
Zerze-san also stopped emphasizing her chest and thighs and started walking, saying “Yeees~”.
Finally, we thought.
It was a premonition of encountering “something.”
Rustle rustle.
Plop.
“!!!”
Deep in the forest, at the ambiguous border between the mid-level and deep parts.
There, in front of us… descending from a tree onto the road about 100 meters ahead.
Its form… was completely different from the information provided by survivors in the Guild.
Slimes, Magical Beasts; Liquid, created by Alchemists and Mages.
Incidentally, Golems are Magical Beasts; Solid. Astral is Magical Beast; Gas.
“A… Slime?”
“Hey, hey. So this whole commotion is man-made. The work of a murderer or a madman.”
“I don’t want my equipment to be melted by that slimy thing~…”
“…What do we do? If the opponent is a Slime…”
Mars-san’s iron fists that can crush rocks.
Lot-san’s one-sided attacks from a safe distance.
They are ineffective against a liquid Slime.
It’s effective if it accidentally hits the transparent core within the liquid, but.
The Slime that appeared is large in volume.
It’s questionable whether two attacks can reach the core.
Moreover, if attacked. The Slime can move its core within its body to avoid attacks.
I don’t participate in combat.
The only one I can rely on here is Zerze-san, who can attack with magic.
However, it would take several magic attacks to defeat the Slime in front of us.
The strength of a Slime increases with its volume.
And it’s tenacious. It must have acquired the skill called “Toughness” – which makes it persistent.
Given its size.
Can Mars-san and Lot-san protect Zerze-san from the Slime while she unleashes her magic? It’s impossible.
The Slime’s mucus is a strong acid that melts equipment.
Protecting Zerze-san makes it impossible.
It’s barely enough to land two spells.
Just enraging the Slime will cost us our equipment and lives.
Gurgle gurgle.
Wriggle wriggle.
Before Mars-san could give an order.
Viscous tentacles extended from the Slime’s liquid body.
Although there is distance, its speed should be fast due to its large volume.
“Let’s retreat for now.”
Mars-san ordered a retreat.
We fled from the Slime at full speed.
Running without triggering the traps on the way back.
I’m carrying heavy luggage.
I ran out of breath near the forest entrance.
But the Slime didn’t chase us.
We were saved.
“…”
“Lot, who was supposed to be at the rear, is gone!?”
I, who should be behind me, Lot-san, am gone!
“Lot?!”
“This isn’t funny for a joke~?”
“Lot-san?!”
We call out Lot-san’s name.
But there is no reply from the depths of the forest.
*Swish!*
*Splat.*
*Sizzle.*
“It shot strong acid. The Slime is chasing us. Let’s run to town!”
“Yes.”
We retreated from the Slime, which was lurking in the forest and firing strong acid.
The retreat was successful, although the whereabouts of the “Long Spear User” Lot are unknown.
“Damn it.”
“I didn’t dislike Lot~~.”
“Lot-san.”
At the tavern, it’s a wake for Lot-san.
I hope he’s alive so we can laugh about it someday. That’s what I want to happen, so.
Please be safe, Lot-san.
