Lauren learned from Pauline’s testimony that she had been captured by the Giant Centipede.
Lauren had been planning to rescue Pauline, who had been captured. A rusty kitchen knife placed on a stand was covered in blood and animal hair.
“Hah, hah, but, it, it’s no use, I fail no matter how many times I try. I, I can’t do it. There’s nothing living around here that can beat him.”
“First, we need to check if she’s alive.”
At Nina’s words, Lauren’s shoulders trembled. Her breathing quickened.
“W, well, shall we go outside for a bit? The air is bad in a place like this. Don’t worry, Pauline will surely be alive. She’s not the type to die easily.”
“That’s right, Pauline is strong, so she’ll surely be fine.”
Piyo smiled brightly. But her eyes weren’t smiling; she was just putting on a brave face. We had no choice but to believe her for now. We went outside with a sluggish Lauren. We inhaled fresh air into our lungs.
“For the time being, let’s go to the bandit group’s hideout and rest.”
“Agreed, I can’t do anything in this state. Hey, do you understand? You’re the key to this plan.”
She says that again. But this was Nina’s way of encouraging me. She means that I’m needed, so I should pull myself together. We returned to the hideout, supporting the heavy spider body of three people. The bandits narrowed their eyes at the new visitors.
“Did you see the Giant Centipede?”
“I’m sorry, but could you let her rest for a while?”
“This one is also one of Sharin’s companions, is that right? Indeed, as they say, it’s a strange group. Fine, use it as you please.”
We put Lauren in a nearby tent. She must have overexerted herself; her already slender arms had become so thin that her bones were protruding. Her cheeks were sunken and her skin was dry. We had to restore her stamina first.
“I’ll go back to town to buy food. Please watch her until then. Um, Piyo, could you come with me too?”
“Ah, ah, sure. Can’t you go alone?”
Sharin tilted her head and asked. Embarrassingly, I can’t ride that Landodo alone.
“Eheheh~ Hold on tight, let’s go!”
We borrowed one and hurried on the road to town. Actually, I didn’t want to take Piyo to town anymore.
“I’m sorry for bringing you to such a terrible place.”
“Hmm? It’s totally fine~ For Hiro, it’s a small price to pay.”
We immediately purchased edible items at the market. Come to think of it, what was Lauren’s favorite food? A large roasted spider was being sold at a storefront. This, I felt, was probably not it. For the time being, we bought bread, grains, and beans. We also bought dried meat, smoked fish, and fruits. With this much, she should be able to get enough nutrients.
Piyo piloted the Landodo again, and we returned to the hideout. Lauren was fast asleep in the tent. By the way, Arachne often sleeps with her upper body upright like a Centaur. She folds her legs and shrinks her body. However, perhaps she was extremely tired, as she was now lying on her side with her legs outstretched.
“I bought some food just in case, so let’s have a meal too.”
We waited for a while, but Lauren didn’t wake up. The next morning, she finally woke up.
“Ah, Lauren is awake! Are you okay?”
Piyo peered at her face. She seemed dazed for a moment, but as her memory gradually returned, she began to look around.
“W, where is this? I. That’s right, this is not the time to be doing this!”
“Calm down. First, recover your stamina. Here, eat.”
“I, I don’t want it, I have no appetite.”
That’s right, she probably didn’t feel like eating.
“If you don’t get back to normal, we can’t do anything! Eat quickly!”
At Nina’s fuss, Lauren reluctantly started eating.
“By the way, my plan is this. We will lure out the Giant Centipede. In the meantime, you will manipulate the corpses to rescue Pauline. We’ll figure out how to drive it away separately.”
“…Hah, you’re so spirited. Hmph, it’s good to be so carefree.”
“Hah? Of course. We have to rescue her quickly.”
“It’s already been five days.”
Lauren’s words froze the atmosphere. Had it been that long? I thought it had only happened the day before yesterday. Well, if I saw the pile of corpses Lauren had gathered, I might have understood. It was unlikely that the Giant Centipede would keep the small Pauline alive instead of eating her.
“Y, you understand now. What I’m saying.”
“Even so, we won’t know unless we try!”
Nina shouted and left the tent.
