Adblock detected. Please consider whitelisting this site or donating to help keep the translation going. Thank you. :)

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku 18-30

18-30. A Boy in Labyrinth City (4)

 

While we were hunting Giant Rats in the labyrinth, we somehow found ourselves surrounded by Lost Bandits before we realized.

"I'll charge in first. The rest of you follow after me."
"No don't. You'll get killed by yourself."

I whispered to my friends.
Zaki tried to stop me but we have no other choice but to break through the middle.

"Ooh, I'm sooo scared. Maybe you shoulda discuss your plan someplace else guyyyys."

The boss sneered and his underlings followed.

"Oooh that's it, got a niiice idea."

The boss made his underlings stepped back while he stepped forward by himself.

"I'mma let you guys off if ya can beat this great meeee."

The boss licked his lips while tapping his sword on his palm.

"Let's do this."
"Yup, no other choice."

Gon spoke in a trembling voice, Zaki agreed tearful sounding.

All of us readied our spears and ran out at once.

"Niiiice, correct answeeeer."

The boss swung his sword once while laughing, the next instance, the tips of our spears were gone.
Then he slowly raised his sword while walking up at us like he was tormenting us.

--Now.

I threw away my now stick spear and drew the dagger on my waist while taking a step forward.

The boss swung his sword down.

So fast.

That would have cut me up before my dagger could reach him.

If I did nothing.

I used my trump card.

"--Ground Shrink."

A [Failure] skill that consumes most of my mana just to take me ahead by two fists distance.

However--.

It's more than capable of dodging a slash.

The boss missed his swing as I got in a melee distance to him. Enough for my dagger to hit.

I thrust my dagger aiming at his side.

My vision spun around. My defenseless head fell down the labyrinth ground.

What just happened?
The next view I saw was that of the boss with his leg raised up. Did I get kicked.

The boss turned his sword around in his grip and walked up to me.

I can't move my body, it's numb.

What about Gon and the rest--not good. They've lost their fighting spirits along with the spear tips.

I saw that Rasa was the only one trying to sneak away from here.
Good. Run away Rasa. Even if it's just you.

"That was a good move for a newbie. But I ain't dumb enough to get done in by a low single digit level weakling."

Is this the end, is this where I meet my end--.

Then, a girl blew away my despair.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >




"Ravna, go!"

A graceful voice resounded in the dead end path.

"--Rockslice Blade!"

A gallant boulder-like knight mowed down the group of Lost Bandits behind the boss.

"Boulder knight?! Damn Lost Bandit Hunters came out to play huh!"

The boss faced against the boulder knight with a loathsome look.
Two of his side aides gripping curved swords took their stance.

"Shiga Kingdom Formal Swordsmanship--Secret Art [Cherry Blossom Slash]."

Another knight in a silver armor showed up at tremendous speed and flicked away the boss's sword while scattering blossom-like pink colored flashes of lights everywhere.

One of the boss's aides stopped the knight's twin swords aiming for the boss neck.

"Tch, they even got 『Noble Youth Flash』 here huh."

The boss jumped backward while unsheathing a dagger on his waist as his aides went slashing at the noble knight.

"That's 'Sir' for you lowlifes. You vulgar barbarians have no right to casually call our names."

Four other knights showed up after the noble knight and cut down the other underlings blocking the passage.
It was a plump knight who decried the boss there. He's uncharacteristically strong despite his figure.

"Mennnnnn! Get 'emmmmmmm!"

With the boss's command, other bandits lurking in the ceiling jumped down one after another.

The boulder knight positioned herself to cover my friends.
They should be fine now.

"Don't get ahead on your own, Gerritz."

A beautiful lady wielding a rapier showed up next to the noble youth and blocked an aide's sword.
The plump knight blocked a slash aiming at the beauty from a blind side.

"You've got to focus yourself, Merian."
"Thanks, Luram."

"[Sword Princess] Merian, [Great Sword] Luram, that means that one over there routing us down must be 『Black Hurricane』 Jans--The whole gang of Lost Bandit Hunters making their appearance, damn I finally made it big eh."

The boss sounded despaired.

"Cease calling us with that vulgar name, you lowlifes."

The noble youth swung his sword to swipe away the blood on his sword after eliminating one of the aides.

"Ha! Lemme show you how lowlifes fight then. Shoot!"

The remaining Lost Bandits in the ceiling let loose a herd of Maze Moths.

"This again huh--."
"Do it, Dirun."

Plump knight let out a sigh, while the noble youth gave his command sharply.

"Heavy Hurricane Hammer!"

A storm unleashed in the end of the passage smashed all the Maze Moths at once, sending them crashing onto the walls.

--Whoa! So that's what magic like!

In the corner of my vision, I caught sight of the boss trying to fit into a crevice in the rocky wall.
The knights were busy dealing with the sheer number of Lost Bandits they didn't realize it.

"He's, getting away!"

I mustered up my hoarse throat to squeeze a word.

"Worry not, nanoja."

A gorgeous princess completely out of place in a labyrinth showed up next to me out of nowhere.
This voice was the one that commanded the boulder knight earlier.

"--Liura."
"By your will, princess."

By the princess's command, her aide knight nocked an arrow.
The loose arrow was straight to her aim, piercing the point between the boss's brows, reaping his life.

This person is an amazing marksman.
Even better than Pongo-san the hunter.

"Princess Mitia, please take care of that too."

The noble youth called out to the princess as he was crossing swords with a particularly strong Lost Bandit.

In the direction the youth pointed was a giant mantis monster.
It's eating a man that looks to be a slave inbetween its pincers.

"Soldier Mantis is it now, a small fry. Dirun-dono--is currently busy dealing with the Train of Maze Ants, I see. I suppose I am left with no choice."

The princess took a stance with an elegant looking sword, or maybe a cane, look like both.

A thin stripe of light connected the princess' cane with the Soldier Mantis.
The princess rhythmically moved her wrist then the Soldier Mantis's head and arms fell down the ground all chopped up, a moment later, a weird burn like smell pricked my nose.

"Hmhmm, isn't it amazing? It's an Artifact of Light Satou-dono bestowed upon me nanoja."

The princess was saying something, but I couldn't really recall.
I mean I couldn't take my eyes off the princess' beautiful figure like my soul has been snatched away.

"--Oy."
"Can't you hear Gerritz-sama?!"

Poked by the plump knight, I realized I was being asked by the noble youth.

I hadn't noticed that all Lost Bandits have been defeated.

"Not even a word of gratitude to your saviors?!"
"Luram, justice expects no gratitude in return."

The noble youth remonstrated the plump knight.

"I-I'm sorry! Thank you so much for saving us!"

I got up in a hurry and bowed my head far down near the ground.
My little sister always tells me to 'Make sure to always express apologies and gratitude.'

All the Lost Bandits have been cut down, and the monsters brought by them are being carved out by attendants of these knights.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Oh I'm fine, it's nothing much."

My spear broke, and my stomach is hurting from the kick, but this much is really nothing.
For some reason, I really don't want to look uncool before the princess.

"Luram can accompany you out of the labyrinth."
"Eh, you're telling me to babysit them?"
"Any complain?"
"Not at all! That's simply unthinkable!"

Ordered by the noble youth, the plump knight--Luram-san escorted us out of the labyrinth.
Zaki hit it off well with Luram-san, he was taught about all tasty stalls in the labyrinth city.

Luram-san took us back to the labyrinth gate, then saw us off there because he needed to inform the guild staff about the Lost Bandits.

"--I'm beat."

We all sprawled out on the ground once we saw the white building of the guild from the west gate.

"...I was so scared."

Shina's cry became the impetus for us all to also cry out. Even Gon and Rasa did.
The passing by explorers were startled at first but they quickly lost interest and left.

"What's wrong? Did you see something scary?"

It was Greatshield Jel-san.
It's gotten dark before we knew it.

I wiped my tear-stricken face with my sleeve and narrated how we were almost killed by Lost Bandits.

Jel-san listened to the end without interrupting once, then he spoke.

"I see, sounds like a disaster. A preventable one that is."
"--Eh?"

I never expected that reply so I instinctively looked up to Jel-san's dauntless face.

"You stopped seeing other explorer parties around didn't you? That's cause they noticed those lurking Lost Bandits. Didn't you hear them telling you to stop?"
"--Ah."

They did call out to us.
We thought it was because they were trying to stop us from hunting more Giant Rats.

"Bullseye eh. You'd be taught about that if you just took beginner course offered by the guild."
"I had no idea..."

Losing to the temptation of going into the dungeon, forgetting my little sister's advice was a mistake.

"They'd teach about lotsa other stuff too, you'd better take that course. If you're lacking money, you can go gather Beria in the wilderness or do odd jobs in the city. There's the boarding house sponsored by the madam viceroy, so you just gotta get enough for food. And if you don't get enough, there's also food bank once a day."

We all listened to Jel-san.
Feels like we were told that by the guild staff too.

I also recall seeing papers plastered on the guild walls.

Jel-san suddenly got up.

"Alrighty, let's drink. Or maybe you guys prefer food?"
"Jel-san, we're, um short on fund."

We traded magic cores at the gate, one for each of us, but it was only worth less than one copper coin each.
More than enough in villages, but according to Luram-san, you need at least one copper coin to even buy from a food stall, so there's no way we can afford a store Jel-san invited us to.

"No sweat. Leave it all to me!"

Jel-san took us to an open space lit up with dazzling lights.
So many people have gathered around, it's like a festival.

"Aw yeah, drink drink up, Usasa!"
"Ou! Guildmaster! The match's on!"
"Come at me, youngling!"

I saw the blue mantled rabbitkin and the guildmaster gulping down huge mugs of booze.

"We're having a send off party for [Fangs of Conflagration] and [Pendora]. Ya can eat and drink all you want here."
"Yay!"
"Are we really allowed to?"

Gon immediately cheered, while Zaki asked in concern.

"Course it is. I'm the best shielder of [Fangs of Conflagration] 'fter all. Ain't no one gonna complain me bringing in five, six children here."

After saying that, Jel-san ordered food and drinks to a nearby server.

"Jel-san, would you like for some hamburger?"

A cute maid-san brought us bread.
With meat-like thing sandwiched inbetween.

"Oh! Are the mansion maids on break today?"
"Yes, we're throwing an early celebration for Usasa and the others. Oh, Miteruna-san is also here."

Losing to the delicious whiff, I took a bite and was greeted with tenderness and tastiness unlike anything I've had before exploding in my mouth.

What is this? What in the what is this bangaba dish!

"Oooh, gotta make sure to greet her later."
"Huh? Are you not making an advance today? Have you gotten tired?"
"Heck no 'course. I even went and bought some gifts for my proposal to Miteruna-san today, y'know?"

I would like to praise food this good, but since the maid seems to be busy chatting with Jel-san, the guys and I just kept repeating, 'It's so good, so good.'

"We have seconds if you like."
"Roji, help! We're running out of soup!"
"I got it, Ani. I'll be right there."

The maid called Roji handed a basket with Banbaga inside to me and left.
The guys immediately competed to feast on Banbaga. Even Shina and the quiet Rasa became beast-like.

Not to lose on them, I too feasted on it.

"Cheered up a bit now?"

Jel-san spoke with gentle eyes.

"Yes, I'm all, cheered up."

The anxiety and despair earlier went away like it was a dream after I got my fill. I'm quite a simple man.

"Would you like some soup?"
"Ou, give it."
"Ah! Jel-san, if you're looking for Miteruna-san--"

A maid girl about our age came to distribute soup.

"I'm heading out for a bit. Just tell anyone messing with you, Jel-san invited you."

Jel-san left his seat apologetically, seemingly to look for this Miteruna lady.

"You guys are here too huh--."

Once Jel-san left, the noble youth who saved us from Lost Bandits came and greeted us.
Along with Luram-san and the others.

What's different with them now is--.

"--Blue mantles?"
"Well it's a send off party after all. We put it on."

The noble youth walked up to the [Pendora] rabbitkin after saying that.
So they were members of [Pendora].

"I see you have regained your vigor."
"--Princess."

The gorgeous princess escorted by the boulder knight walked up to us.

"B-back then--"

I almost said, 'Forgive us for our sorry sight', but I bit my lips and couldn't get the words out somehow.

"Mind it not. Us too have experienced getting rescued from a desperate situation after falling into Lost Bandit traps, by Satou-dono."

The princess blushed absentmindedly as she spoke.
She's so much cuter than ever. So cute I'm getting dizzy.

But I wonder why? My chest tightens a bit.

"Therefore, you simply need to repeat it."
"--Repeat?"
"Indeed. Just like how Satou-dono saved us, and how we saved you, next time become strong enough to be on the side doing the saving."

The princess's words carved deep in my heart.
Oh right, that veteran explorer also said something like this in that [Passage of Death].

I guess that's the true mark of explorers.

"You've a good look there. Surely you will get stronger."
"Yes! I'll do my best!"

Strong enough to boast having been saved by the princess.

"Princess Mitia! Over here!"
"Understood! Let us proceed, Ravna, Lyura."

Called by the noble youth, the princess took the two knightess with her.

Right now I can only look at her back from afar, but I promise I'll become a dependable explorer she could rely on one day.

That's also when I'm gonna tell her my name.

I look up into the sky and vowed to the full moon shining brightly in the night sky.




◇ [At a Certain Poor Village] ◇



--*Sneeze*.

"It can't be that a pest has started hanging around Niisan in the labyrinth city..."

The out of season sneeze was like an omen to me.

"Could this be a sign for me to hasten the plan and make my way to the labyrinth city ahead of time?"

I muttered alone as I looked up at the moon peeking in the window.

 

 

 

 

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku 18-29

 18-29. A Boy in Labyrinth City (3)

 

"So dark here..."

The other side of the labyrinth gate was dimly lit.
There's a few light sources from the walls here and there but it's completely unlike before with sunlight peeking in.

We cooled down our excitement and waited until our eyes acclimated to the darkness before pressing on.

"W-who's there!"
"Those are soldiers in charge of labyrinth district. Forgive us for making a racket."

Zaki explained to the spooked Shina before apologizing to the soldiers.
There are several military encampment on the winding paths, each with a giant crossbow manned by multiple soldiers.
According to Zaki, these are measures taken to prevent monsters escaping the labyrinth.

Down the stairway we came across a giant bulky iron gate, then beyond that was a fort-like building occupying the entirety of the vast room with many soldiers stationed inside.

"Hey now, don't stop now. You rookie adventurers might want to check out the left passage."

A foxkin soldier urged us.
A fist came down that foxkin's head top.

"--Gehya."
"Quit giving them ideas. Explorers should decide on their own which paths they tread."
"Sheesh, that was uncalled for, commander. I can hear you just fine."

The barbarian-like heavy handed man is apparently the commander.

"Yeah right, like words could get through your thick skull. And besides, YOU'RE the commander now."
"Ah, old habits die hard I guess. But wait, why's a General Aide here again?"
"Gotta breathe in the air in the battlefield once in a while to untie myself."
"You're running away from deskwork again, aren't you. Gonna tell on your secretary and--"

Another fist down got sharply dodged by the foxkin this time.

"I'm against violence!"

The general aide chased after the clowning foxkin commander.

"Let's go, save the comedy skit for later."

Rasa is right so we kept going and took the left path as suggested.

"What are you doing?"

Rasa and his sharp intuition noticed me putting on a cloth over my mouth.

"My lil' sis told me to. Put on a cloth on my mouth until I got used to the labyrinth."

Think she called it a mask or something?

"Your little sister again? She sure sounds like my mother."
"Maybe more like a big bro?"
"It doesn't really look good on you."

I felt embarrassed from Gon and Keros mocking me and Shina's not so kind appraisal, but anything my little sister strongly insists always has meanings, so I kept the cloth on regardless.

"There it is, a monster!"

Right as Gon yelled that, we ran full speed toward the monster.

Another party showed up ahead and charged at the monster.
We were late by one step, they threw a rock at the Giant Rat and started the battle before we could get there.

"Dammit! We found that first!"

Gon stamped on the ground.

I felt the same, but I was feeling out of breath from running with a mouth cloth on, I couldn't speak.
This makes breathing harder than expected. Gotta loosen it up a bit.

"I see another one there!"

Keros ran out.

"Where?"
"Above."

A giant moth-like monster is flying near the ceiling.

"It's coming down here!"

Gon readied his spear as he yelled.
We lined up next to Gon to wait for it.

"--Now!"

Gon thrust his spear above followed by us.
We were too early. The moth flapped its wings right before our spears could hit and stopped mid air.

Moth scales-like things fell down the wings with a weird pattern.

--Oh crap.

I took one hand away from my spear and used it to hold down my mouth cloth.
Gon and the others seemed to have inhaled the scales, they kept coughing while laying on the ground.

I kept track of the moth while squinting to prevent scales getting in.
Despite of that, my tears wouldn't stop coming out.

"Here it comes again!"

Even with a cloth the scales passing through the gaps burned my lungs.
I swung my spear as the moth swooped down, driving it away. My spear only managed a light hit.

I looked around curious since nobody else was doing anything, they were all convulsing on the ground. That's paralysis. I saw a goat eating a paralyzing licorice turning out like them before.
By the way, it was my little sister who fed that to the goat. She said to [Get me familiar with abnormal status.]

As I was thinking that, the moth made another dive bomb after reaching the ceiling.
Looks like it's aiming for the small Rasa.

--This time for sure.

I made sure my aim was right and stabbed the moth with all my strength.

My spear pierced through the moth, but it's not dead yet.
I put my weight to stab the tip of my spear in between bedrocks, pushed down the moth back with my body and cut at its neck with the dagger on my waist.

Slash. My dagger sliced off the moth with that sensation transmitted to my hand.
I've had experiences helping out with cutting up livestock, and it was never this easy.

The dagger my little sister gave me turned out to be quite an amazing object.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >




Then after a bit, the others came out of their paralysis.
I sighed out in relief, it was like a weigh off my shoulder since I needed to keep watch on my own.

"Phew, that was a close one."
"Paralysis is cheating, unfair."

Keros and Gon complained.

"Thankfully Sharon was here."
"Sorry. That cloth has a point."

Zaki praised me, Shina apologized.

"Sharon, you know how to cut up that thing?"
"If it's livestock sure, not insects though."

We'd need to take out the magic core now, but none of us was moving as we all waited for someone to take up the task.

"Does nobody here know?"

They all shook their heads at my question.

"Can't we just like ya know, slice and dice it up?"
"No we can't. Those scales will take us down again."

Rasa stopped Gon who was approaching with a knife.

"You guys! What's going on?"

A woman's voice called out to us from a bit away.
Turning around, a very beautiful woman was standing from where we came from. Behind her are boys and girls around our ages.

"Are you perhaps having trouble carving a Maze Moth?"
"Yes, we don't know how."
"Oh then let me teach you. First you cut its neck off, then cut a line right in the center. Make sure to be gentle okay? Being too rough will move its wings, scattering the scales."

Zaki replied then the beauty-san dexterously taught us how to carve the moth.

"I can see that you defeated this one with a spear, but you should reconsider engaging them in the labyrinth if you don't have throwing weapons on hands. If you're left with no choice but to fight one, just throw stones at it from a distance. Careful not to hit your friends or other explorers, okay?"

Beauty-san left after giving that advice with a smile.

"One core at last..."
"But still, I don't see monsters anywhere."
"Un, shocking."
"Well I mean, with so many explorers like us prowling around, it only makes sense the monsters got hunted down."

We kept walking down the passages while not encountering any monster.

Small children walked ahead of us.

"Wonder if we're eating meat today?"
"Of course nanodesu! We hunted lots and lots beans and potatoes, we can even buy meat skewers nodesuyo!"
"Can't wait~"

About ten children are walking while carrying huge baskets on their backs. Most of them are beastkin children including the leading dogkin.
Some of them have weapons but every single one is only around ten year old.

"Even children so young..."
"I think those children just hunted 『Hopping Potatoes』 and 『Walking Beans』? I believe a basketful of them is worth several copper coins."

As Shina muttered, Zaki answered.

"So you're tellin' me there's so few monsters here it's safe for those kids to hang around?"

Gon pointed out rightfully.
He's right.

"Time for a route change?"

We left the wide main passage and went in some narrow branch passages.
We picked a passage explorers ahead of us picked, so this should be right, too late to change route now though.

"I hear battle sounds ahead."

Rasa spoke.

We arrived at a three-pronged fork passage where explorers around our ages are fighting several goblins.

"That person--."

It's the beauty-san who taught us how to carve earlier.
She's watching the boys and girls fighting the goblins slightly away.

"Someone's coming from there."

A cool woman around the same age as beauty-san showed up along with dauntless-looking boys and girls.

"--Iruna!"

Beauty-san noticed the cool woman and called out to her.

"Yo, Jena. Good work rearing the newbies."
"Oh it's nothing. Are you going back already? Isn't it a bit early?"
"Yea, we pulled out cause the labyrinth's looking unusual. Saw lots of Maze Ants coming out their nests, even came across some Guardian Ants."
"Could someone poke around their nests perhaps?"
"Probably yeah. Saw 'em in the other area, they prolly won't come here, but keep on your toes now."
"Thanks, Jena."

"--A <<Soldier Mantis>> might even crop up like that time."
"Ah, that takes me back."

The beauty and cool women seemed to be reminiscing something.

As we were hesitating to pass by them, the cool woman took the boys and girls and passed by us.
She candidly told us, 'You guys too, take care yea.'

"What now?"

Bothered by the conversation we eavesdropped, I asked the others--mainly Zaki, for opinions.

"Maze Ants are sturdy they say. Our weapons are not gonna cut it."
"How about we take the other path?"

Zaki answered, and Rasa pointed at the other path the cool woman didn't take.

"Yeah."
"Let's do that."
"Un."

We all agreed and went for it.

"There it is! A Maze Rat!"

We finally encountered a Giant Rat that promptly tried to flee, but Rasa went around to block its path and we stabbed at it together with our spears as it stopped.
An excessive force too much for a single Giant Rat as it immediately died.
The way Keros swung his sword around was more of a threat even.

Its leather is full of stabs, stripping it off would do no good.

"I'm cutting it up. Someone help."
"Leave it to me."

The Giant Rat is the size of a medium dog, so I had Gon help me lifted it up.
Unlike the Maze Moth earlier, the process is similar to livestock so we were done in no time.

"What do about the meat?"
"What, you're planning to eat rat meat or something?"

Gon's question was met with Keros' condemning eyes.

"What, cityfolk don't eat 'em?"
"Y-you're telling me you eat that stuff in the boondocks?"
"We sure do."

I had those forest meat become my nourishment as their repentance for gobbling down our grain.
Oh right, lil' sis warned me not to eat hard rat and insects.

"--Found it. Pretty small this magic core."

And white.

"It's a waste but let's just drop the meat and move on."
"Can't be helped, it'd smear our bags with blood and all."

Oh yeah, we came straight here from our trip today.

"Let's keep a move on!"
"Geh, another party."
"Two groups huh, there must be lotsa Giant Rats here."

We kept delving deeper while competing for rats with other parties.

"Found some more! Two of them now!"
"Go after them!"

Our prey got taken earlier, must not miss this time.

"Please wait. We should get back soon."

Zaki stopped us as we frantically ran for the giant rats.

"But we just hunted four."
"Yeah, you hear him. We got all the way to a good hunting ground and all, y'know?"

Gon and Keros protested.

"We've delved in quite deep now. At this rate, we'll find ourselves outside the first area."
"Un, the other parties turned around too."

Come to think of it, the other parties competing with us earlier are nowhere to be seen.

"I've got some sort of bad feelings."

Can't make light of Rasa's intuition.
It helped us avoid falling rocks and sudden downpours so many times on our way here.

"So what's the verdict?"

Shina asked.

"Let's hunt to at least match our number."
"...Okay. Just two more and we'll head back."
"Those giant rats earlier would be our last."

Thus we resumed our pursuit.

"It's a dead end!"

The cornered giant rats turned to face us, but they were no match against our spear stabs.
I took the magic cores out with Gon's help.

"Alright, we got enough for all of us!"

More than good enough for a full day's work.
We were told to gather five cores for each of us in two months, but at this pace, forget next month, we're gonna finish it in ten days.

"Congratulatiooooooooons."

A man's voice from behind us.
Accompanied by sounds of clapping hands from above.

"--Who?"

We turned around and got greeted by an evil-looking group of men blocking the passage.
I looked around and saw several other men peeking from a hole around the ceiling. Every single one of them is looking evil.

"...Lost Bandits."

Zaki muttered.

"Correctttt. Congratulatiooooons."

The Lost Bandits laughed evilly.

"Boss, let's kill those kids and take the woman with us pronto."
"Now now, even men will do, the scrawny ones that is. Just kill that big one over there and leave the rest."

Men shouldering curved swords showed up from behind this boss man while grinning like lowlifes.

....A fate worse than death awaits me at this rate.

As I fell into despair, the words my little sister left me resurfaced on my mind.

--Niisan. You must never give up. Keep struggling even when you've fallen in the pit of despair. You must not let yourself get killed no matter what.

That's right. No way I'm gonna let myself get killed here.

I encouraged my trembling mind and took a deep breath.
After which I could see the surroundings clearer.

The only hand we have is--.

"We're breaking through the middle. Run with all your strength with my signal."

I whispered to the others.

The odd is stacked against us, but still better than being here.
Besides, I've got a last resort. Kinda unreliable, but better than nothing.

I bet on that as our sole ray of hope and put strength into my hands gripping the spear.

 

 

 

 

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku 18-28

 18-28. A Boy in Labyrinth City (2)

 

"So many people here."

A bit after we parted ways with Greatshield Jel, we arrived at the white building in front of us--western Explorer Guild.
There's people everywhere you see here, I think even just the ones here are twice the populace of my village.

We got in the line with other explorer-aspiring kids.

"Is this really where we're supposed to line up for registration?"
"Of course it is. You're such a worrywart, Zaki."
"I mean look. Those people in front of us--."
"Have blood on their clothes. Doesn't that mean they just came out of the labyrinth?"

Gon and Zaki looked at each other when I pointed that out before they went to the end of the line.

"I asked. New registration goes over there."
"Eh, then what's this line for?"
"This one's for applying for the rookie explorer course."

I'm familiar with that course.
My little sister told me I absolutely must take it.

"Let's go, Sharon."
"Hold on, I'd like to take this course."
"Oy oy, we're here to become explorers, remember? This course thing is like studying yeah? Leave that stuff to village chief's sons or apothecary apprentices or something."

Gon forcefully dragged me away as he said that.

"But that's not true, gau?"

We almost jumped at the sudden voice behind us.
Turning back, there stood a giant dogkin in a blue mantle.

"Oy, look at that."
"Blue mantle-- 『Pendora』!"
"That's Gau the Storm Sword. And over there, that's Usasa the Galeslice Blade and Rabibi the Magic Arrow."
"The whole gang's here huh."
"Didn't those guys beat an 『Area Master』 on their own?"
"Seriously? Just beating the vassals is hard enough already, yer' telling me they got an 『Area Master』 down too?!"

Veteran explorers in the guild broke into a rustle.

"So noisy gau. Anyway, you ought to take rookie course gau. You'll be sure to have a better chance at surviving gau."

After saying that, the dogkin went to where other blue mantles gathered.
Another rustle broke out at the entrance.

"--It's the 『Fangs of Conflagration』."

Stoutly built explorers in the room timidly cleared the way for robust looking men to pass through.

"The chief--Zarigon."
"Damn, that's the whole line up of 『Fangs of Conflagration』 main force."

The man called Zarigon walked up to the blue mantle group.
Later on, I'm told chief here refers to the leader of a group of explorers. Apparently the previous chief, Asaku or Yaseku I forgot, retired and yielded the position to him.

"Glad you're coming, Usasa."
"'Course we will when it's you inviting, Zarigon-san."

Zarigon bumped fist with a rabbitkin with a wound on her face.

"--LISTEN UUUUUUUUP!"

Zarigon and the rabbitkin joined shoulders and shouted out loud at the crowd inside the guild.

"Us 『Fangs of Conflagration』 and 『Pendora』 led by Usasa--"
"Declare here that we shall now begin an expedition to beat the 『Floor Master』!"

Hearing that, the crowd stamped around and cheered out loud with their fists high up.
Us and the other newbies unintentionally went with the flow and cheered together despite our confusion.

As the cheering grew louder and louder, flame sparks suddenly scattered down after a huge boom.
Looks like a fireball exploded around the tall ceiling of the guild building.

The explorers all shifted their line of sight to an elderly lady who probably shot that magic.

"Geh, it's the guildmaster."
"As dangerous as ever, that old hag."

The veteran explorers muttered in astonishment.

"Can't you guys keep it down, geez."
"Look who's talking. What would we do if the fire spread out."
"You think I'd make such a blunder?"

A slender girl showed up from behind the elderly lady.

Other veteran explorers started running away while saying, 'Oh crap, even Sebelkea-sama's here', 'Scramble, ain't no way I'd take Sebelkea-sama's punishment.'
I was a bit curious by how they were more afraid by the girl more than the elderly lady who shot a fireball inside a building, but there's no doubt she's a [Touch me if you dare] like my little sister, gotta be careful not to get close.

"Zarigon, so you've finally decided on getting another go after four years."
"Yea, we're gonna get our revenge before these young 'uns got us beat."
"Kajiro-san's gonna help out too this time, right Usasa."
"Yeah, indeed. Ayaume-san declined cause she gotta watch her kids, but Kajiro-san gave his OK."

As I was listening in to their conversation, someone pulled my sleeve.

"Now's our chance."

Urged by Rasa, we went to register at the counter that had been emptied.

"And that will be all. Sharon-san, you are officially an explorer now."

I grasped the wooden badge the receptionist handed me.
My adventure starts now.

"So this is an explorer badge... it's wood."
"It really is. There's only some random number written."

Unlike the emotional me, Keros and Gon looked disappointed.

"That's what it mean to be a temporary explorer. First we've got to beat monsters and collect five magic cores by the next month."

Zaki told Keros and Gon.

"Let's keep going."

Ignoring their disappointment, Rasa pulled us away.
We quickly applied for the rookie course as well, but apparently it was fully booked, the lecture for us would start in three days.
We also applied for a boarding house exclusively for rookie explorers use. One party only gets one room, but you can stay free of charge as the cost is subsidized by the viceroy and other nobles in labyrinth city.

"Thought those nobles are only good at squeezing us dry."
"Viceroy-sama had started investing in this around six to seven years ago. It was his excellency Pendragon-sama who convinced viceroy-sama to start investing."

The staff member wryly added that to Keros whose muttering got overheard.

"Let's go. To the second floor now."

Gon and Keros still intended to listen to the guildmaster, but Zaki and Rasa urged us to keep moving while the coast is clear and so we headed to the second floor. Apparently they have labyrinth maps here.

"This is the map for the first area. I've got mine already from copying it before, you guys should make your own too."
"This is a labyrinth--."

It's far bigger than anything I've imagined.

"Look there! They've even got monster stuffings!"

Gon got tired of looking at the map and ran at the stuffings display booth corner.

"They look real."
"Yea, I've seen gobu before, but everything else is new to me."

Even ants are gigantic in the labyrinth.

"We're gonna gamble our lives against these monsters from today on."
"That's correct. Thus it's important to study their weak points."

Rasa pointed at a board on the pedestals.
Written there are monsters' weak points and behaviors. The labyrinth ant I'm staring at apparently has a hard shell, ordinary swords would bounce off it. Thus you should stab at the joints connecting their shells.

"Alright! We're gonna do this! We're off to labyrinth stat!"

Gon who got excited after seeing the stuffings called out to us.

"But, we should take the rookie course before going into the labyrinth--."

--Said my little sister.

"Heck if I'm gonna wait three days! We don't hafta get deep inside! Just the outside!"
"Yeah yeah! I agree with Gon!"

"Also, I'm running short on cash, gotta earn my keep for food yeah?"
"Yup, food is important."
"Well yeah, I guess..."

Swayed by Gon and Keros who spoke like those bums in the village, we all decided to go to the labyrinth.
Shina, Rasa and Zaki couldn't contain their curiosity with the labyrinth, and me too.

"What about our weapons?"

Unlike the fully equipped Keros, besides a hatchet Zaki got, our only other weapon is a dagger. Shina only got a small cutlery knife, not good at all in combat.

"Oh I've got an idea. Come with me."

Zaki led us to baskets left in a training ground behind the guild. They're empty.

"That's weird. I'm sure there were discarded weapons in here back then."

According to Zaki, weapons damaged during training were put here for anyone to take for free.

"Oh that's because the guild took them away during this period to protect beginners."

A passing by plump merchant told us.

"Welp no choice then, that dagger will do I'm sure! Let's go!"
"Hold it right there."

The merchant stopped Gon as he was about to run off.

"Daggers may be fine for veterans, but not beginners. It cannot be helped, I'm sure us meeting here is preordained after all."

Preordained? Wonder if he comes from another country? The phrase kinda sounds like my lil' sis somewhat.

"Here, feel free to take them. They're short spears made of ant claws. Crafted by apprentices at Echigoya Firm, they may not be that sturdy but should suffice to deal with demi-goblins at least."
"You're giving us these? We got no money you know?"
"Of course, I'm offering them free of charge."
"Yay! We're all set for labyrinth!"
"Thank you so much, are you really sure?"
"Thank you, mister."
"Much appreciated."
"Thanks, I'll make good use of them."
"Eh I'm good. I've already got a shield and a nice sword anyway."

Keros alone declined while the rest of us took the short spears in gratitude.

"Name, please."
"Do you mean, mine?"
"Yup. I want to thank back, once I get stronger."
"I wanna know too."
"Me too."

Stopped by Rasa, Shina and me, the merchant spoke warmly.

"I'm Akindo a peddler. Do drop by Echigoya Firm branch store on the Guild Main Street sometimes, you can find me there."

Akindo-san left the place after saying that.
We went after him in a hurry when we realized we hadn't introduced ourselves, but he was nowhere to be found once his figure went beyond the building.

We pulled ourselves together and went to the labyrinth.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >




"This is labyrinth!"

After passing through a massive door, we found ourselves in a half underground passage.
There are windows on every few steps above on the ceilings with sunlight illuminating the passage.

There are other rookie explorers like us ahead.

"It's not yet. This is a passage that connects the areas in the labyrinth called 『Passageways of Death』."
"Oy oy, what's up with that creepy name."

Gon grimaced to hear Zaki's explanation.
Same for me. Please don't say such an ominous sounding name out loud when we're heading into the labyrinth.

"Outta my wayyyyyyy!"

An angry voice could be heard ahead of us.
Accompanied by flustered sounding footsteps coming closer.

The rookies ahead opened up a path for the explorers passing through.
They're carrying a bloodied stretcher with someone on it.

As they passed by us, the person on the stretcher has the cloth wrapped around him dyed red in blood as it spills down the stretcher.

--He can't be saved anymore.

I know after watching several grown ups dying from the wounds they suffered during hunting.

"Halt!"
"Get out the way!"

We could hear a dispute behind us.

"He's not gonna make it outside. Use this."
"Magic potion? Sorry, we're penniless."
"Nevermind that. I don't need compensation, use it."
"We're in your debt."

Apparently the magic potion given by a veteran explorer healed the wound as we heard them cheering from way over there.

"Thank you for saving his life. Please tell us your name."
"I'm Jeje the 『Red Ice』."
"We will definitely pay you back this debt."
"Don't worry about it. We experienced getting saved exactly like this before. Next time you guys can save someone's life too."

The explorer called Jeje left after saying that, catching up the dumbfounded us before disappearing into the labyrinth.

"SO damn cool, I gotta get to be like that someday."
"Yes, you can't help but respect that."

Gon and Zaki stared in the direction Jeje went in awe.



I want to be someone who helps those in need, just like that man.
This feeling is shared by many explorers, and tales of such happenstances would often be talked about between explorers.

We kept walking down the passage as if chasing Jeje, but we couldn't catch up and arrived at the Labyrinth Gate.

"Wonder what's that?"

Children younger than us are sitting in an open space before the gate.
Every single one of them has a basket on their back, there's more girls than boys.

"They're carrier children. Explorers can't carry all their loot on their own, so they hire people offering carrier service like them."

Zaki told us.

"Those going into the labyrinth are to record their badge numbers and expedition duration over here!"

A guild member in front of the gate called out to us.
We showed our wooden badges, informed that it would be a day trip, and received a simple advice from the staff member.

"It's Dozon-sama!"
"""Dozon-sama!"""

We turned around at commotion at the carriers' side to see giant explorers coming out of the labyrinth gate.

"Is he a celebrity?"
"Yes, number one in term of popularity."

More popular than the chief man from earlier?

Dozon-sama's companions put down their big baskets on the floor as they reported their loot and magic cores.

"Let's go."

Rasa urged us who all had switched on spectator mode before we knew it, compelling us to head over to the gate.

"We brought you guys Gluttony Hound meat today!"
"""Waii! Meat."""

We passed the gate with a loud cheer behind us.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested, but my craving for the labyrinth won over it, our steps were steady as we head inside.

 

 

 

 

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku 18-27

18-27. A Boy in Labyrinth City

 

※ It's the state of labyrinth city after five years told from a mob character's perspective.

"I'm heading off to the labyrinth city today."

I muttered to myself to steel my determination.

"Guess I won't see this scenery for a while..."

I'm looking down over the poor village I grew up at over a cliff.

This village has nothing.

Children would be constantly starving, and a number of them won't make it pass winter without fail.
There's no apothecary, so falling ill spells death, there's even those who died after getting injured in the mountain. Things are better during the years Talbec-san dropped by here, but since Talbec-san rarely visits this village so far away from his own, we can only rely on the stupidly pricey medicine brought by peddlers in those blank years.

Word on street apparently many people died during the Great War of Demon God five years ago, but our village actually had less death that year since Echigoya Firm's people came by and gave away food and medicine for free.

"Niisan, are you really sure about it?"

This grown-up calm voice is my little sister's.
She's disliked by the adults due to her taboo hair color, but she's actually very smart and reliable.

"Yea, take care of mom for me, okay?"
"Won't you reconsider? In nine, no six years time, I too can depart from this village. I'm worried about leaving you by yourself, Niisan."

Those words don't sound like a six year old.

"I'm gonna be 21 in six years. I can't be an explorer by that old man's age."
"...21 year old is far from being an old man."

For some reason, my little sister has a loose criteria for 'old man' and 'aunty'.
She even said something like 'Even 40 is still quite young.'

"Please won't you--."
"Nope."

My lil' sis sighed out greatly when I gave that reply.
It's like she's given up on trying to scold an unruly kid or something.

"I knew you would say that. Here, it's a parting gift."

She handed over a brand new dagger and a blue steel helmet.
The dagger isn't a cheap one used for stripping meat, but a battle ready one on the bigger side.

"What's this? Where'd you get something this expensive looking?"
"I made them myself. As this village has no scrap iron, I had to gather iron sands in the river over the course of few months. It wasn't easy so be sure to take care of them, okay."

--Iron sands?

No, wait, she made these?

"No no no, how'd you even make these things?"
"...Right yes. I bought them. I traded some beautiful pebbles I picked up along the riverside to a peddler. Let's go with that."

--She's going with what.

It's hard to tell if she's lying or not, like always.

"Am I perhaps troubling you?"

My lil' sis asked anxiously.

"Not at all, I'm super glad."

Then her face brightened up at once.
She looks her age when she's like this.

"I'm gonna earn big with these and make your life and mom's easier."
"There is no need for that."

My lil' sis got back at me.

"Niisan, please steadily keep this word 'Cherish my life' close to yourself for the next six years until I get to the labyrinth city myself."
"Got it. Steadily, yeah?"

My lil' sis loves this word.

She'd always try to stop me whenever I wanted to go out on an adventure.
Most of the time, I'd push through, made a blunder and got myself hurt, yet she'd always treat me back to health despite all the scoldings, she's one lil' angel.

"You really mean it?"
"Yea, promise. I swear to this dagger!"

My lil' sis doesn't look convinced even though I put on my serious face.

But, it'll be fine--.

"Reina, believe in me."
"I understand. I believe in you--"

Cuz she'd say that while blushing if I held both her hands tight as I said that word.

"--Rom-niisan."
"That's not my name."
"Oops. Sharon-niisan."

For some reason, my lil' sis insisted on calling me [Rom].
To begin with, her real name is actually [Tona], while [Reina] is a [Soul Name] according to her.
She said something I don't get, like 'Since I'm Reina, Niisan should be Rom-niisan'.

She even dissed my name, 'Sharon sounds like a woman's.'
But then she continued, '...but Niisan might look good crossdressing.', she looked so serious I got away from her right then.

The village bell could be heard tolling in the distance.

"Ah crap. Gotta go soon."

I'm going to the nearest town with slack season farmers looking for work and other kids my age looking for apprenticeships.
During this season, the townlord's army would be patrolling to cull out bandits and monsters roaming the highways, but small bandit gangs are always everywhere.
So we're moving in group as a preventive measure.

I went to the village with my little sister.

"Niisan, choose wisely when the options are between an unprofitable but safe path and a profitable yet dangerous path, okay? 『I can still go on』 also means 『It's getting dangerous』, you hear me?"

Meanwhile, this lil' sis of mine kept going on like a mom more than our own mom.

"Eh, it'll be fine. I got my ace up sleeve."
"No you can't. Using that even once eats up all your mana. You absolutely cannot use that Niisan, get it?"

Lil' sis doesn't like to speak my skill name.
Cause it's a rare skill and it's gonna be my last resort, so I gotta keep it from other or something.

She also said something about the dagger. En-chant or something, I don't get it so didn't pay attention.
My excuse is because my head is already full of the labyrinth city I'm heading to.

"Get here quick! Sharon!"
"My bad! Be there!"

When I turned around to say farewell, my little sister was nowhere to be found.
Not because she's bothered by the villagers who shun her hair color--but because she doesn't want me to feel ashamed because of such thing, for sure. She's that kind of girl.

I joined the group and shouted out loud to my little sister hiding somewhere.

"I'm off now! I'll come back safe and sound, I promise!"

I couldn't find where she's hiding, but I'm sure my words reached her.

Then I waved back for the last time before departing from the village.







"Oy, Sharon get up."

Gon from the neighboring village I met in the town woke me up.
I parted ways with the other guys from my village but joined up with around 20 newly come of age adults aiming for the labyrinth city during this slack farming season.

"You too Zaki, Keros, Shina and Rasa."

"Damn my back hurt sleeping on hard ground."
"Told ya to clear away the pebbles."
"Yeah well, this whole's mountain ground is hard."

Keros got up while grumbling.
This guy's the third son of a money lender in the town, he'd always complain whenever we camped out.

"How long till we get to this labyrinth city anyway."
"Not long."
"Crossing over the steep mountain in Eluett Marquisette will be tough, but the city should come into view after this one."

The well-informed Zaki said that, must be true.
Besides, he's been over to the labyrinth city with his peddler father many times already.

"Sharon, let's go boil water."
"Yeah. Gotta drink some hot water to loosen up your stiff body that's for sure."

I go prepare hot water with Shina.
We camped near a spring so we can draw water anytime. The quiet Rasa had gathered firewood before anyone realized. Shina asked other group for lit fire.

Shina comes from the same village as Gon, the sole girl in this group.
There are actually five girls in total when you count other groups but she doesn't seem to get along well with them, she joined our group a few days after leaving the town.

The water was boiling by the time Gon had come back from the group leaders' meeting, we shared it with everybody while chewing on some hard bread. Our last jerky was eaten up yesterday.

"Phew, it's warming my body."

The hot water soaked in my body.
The water is tasteless yet paired with the coldness of mountain, it's a downright feast.

As we deceived our hunger with the little breakfast we had, we continued climbing the mountain following other groups.
Just as Zaki said, we crossed the mountain that day and came to a ridge with the sight of a faraway basin.

"It's the labyrinth city!"
"So that's it huh."
"Is that mound thing to the west the labyrinth then?"

Hearing the guys ahead giving their impressions on the labyrinth city, we all broke into fast gait toward the top of the ridge and looked over the city down below in a row with the other guys.

--The labyrinth city.

"Our legend starts here!"

I reflexively put my hands on my mouth, but that wasn't me.
It's the usually quiet Rasa. No doubt about it, the guy is looking down while blushing.

But I get you, Rasa.

I can't stop my excitement just looking at the labyrinth city.
Not being in the same village I lived in day to day, the start of a life where my wits decides on my fate, it all finally feels real.

"It's the final stride. Let's go guys!"
"""OU!"""

We cheered to our leader's yell.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >




"Uwaaa, that's a long line!"

Shina shouted when she saw the city's north gate.

During this season, youths like us from towns and villages all over the place are heading to the labyrinth city.
Hence the incredibly long line formed as seen before us, thus the knowledgeable Zaki spoke.

"Can the labyrinth even fit this many people?"
"Ahaha, it's not like all of them are here to become explorers."

There are those trying to become weapon and armor merchants, or those doing business with explorers.

"And besides, the labyrinth is unbelievably huge. There's this passage in the Ancestor King Yamato's legend, 『The oldest Labyrinth in the world Selbira is boundless. Its ends extend to the outskirts of the Great Desert.』."
"Hee, never heard of it. You cityfolks are awesome."
"Oh it's nothing. My dad would always scold me for reading so many books."

Zaki was shyly being humble when Gon praised him.
Keros didn't find that amusing, he snorted as he frowned.

"Hmph! That's just something you read on books! True explorers experience it themselves! Like me, I went to the second floor of a Purple Tower at the verge of our town and defeated the monsters there!"

--That's unexpected.
I thought Keros was just all talk, I may have to reconsider.

"Oy oy, don't fall for that crap now. That guy only went in a pleasure trip with his guards. Those monsters he defeated? He got those guards beat and tied them up so he could stab them death."

Behind us, a bully-looking giant ridiculed Keros while his underling-looking men around him laughed.

Keros could only bit his lips seemingly unable to retort back.
I won't praise or commend what he did, but I know that's something wealthy townfolk often do from my little sister. That girl sure knew so many weird things.

"I see, and?"

It's not that I'm defending Keros, I just don't like this giant's attitude.

"What? You one of new Keros's underling for money?"
"No. Keros is a comrade."

Though it's only limited until we arrive at the labyrinth city, no doubt he's a comrade.

"Then you're--"
"You there! Get off the line if you're gonna cause trouble!"

A horse-riding viceroy soldier came by and defused our dispute.
The giant looked like he still had something to say, but when the soldier showed off his well polished spear, he went back to his line with a disgruntled look.

Listening to wandering minstrels, you'd think viceroy soldiers are nothing but fodders for monsters, but a soldier in real life oozes this strength incomparable to us.
Even Gon looked at the soldiers in awe.

"Let's put on our equipment so people won't make light of us! Gon, gimme that luggage."
"Oh, finally."

Keros put on a leather armor, a leather helmet and a shield on him. He also put on the cloth-wrapped small sword on his waist. His armor and weapon sure look completely new for someone who fought in a Purple Tower though.

Not to lose on them, I also put on the steel helmet my little sis gave me.
I've got a wood chest protector under my clothes, but it's only good for a peace of mind.

"Keros, where's, you know, that thing?"
"This dagger here. This thing cost a gold coin!"
"Whoaa! A brand new dagger!"
"Gon, put that away, that's dangerous with people around."

Gon stared while grinning at the iron dagger Keros handed him.
He looks like a deranged man like that, but I can't blame him when I did the same thing with the dagger my little sister gave me.

"I know I know. I just wanna look at it for a bit."

Gon sheathed the dagger back and kept staring at it while all grins.

"Ah, newbies."
"It's that time of the year already huh."
"Work hard now~."
"Don't die."
"Survive."

Five boys and girls not far older than us came out of the north gate, and then they encouraged us--or rather, everybody who were aiming for explorers before they started running along the wall.

"What the heck are those?"
"I think those were explorers."
"What they doing? They didn't even got weapons on them?"
"I believe it's what they call 『Ranning』."
"Ranning?"

--No. It's Running.

"Yup, apparently it's the secret art to stamina building introduced by the eldest of Kishresgalza Sisters [Black Spear Liza]."
"Hee, that's swell. Wonder if I could do that?"
"Probably. My dad said you just have to run like normal."

I knew about it from my little sister.
Once I started doing the regime, I didn't tire as easily walking on the mountains or doing farmwork. I also remember feeling gross when my little sister touched me all over once I built up some abs from muscle training.

"Should I get on it too then?"
"Well what's the harm? You don't need money for it."

Meanwhile, other explorers also ran by us.
Feels like there were many with short statures.

"Next up, you guys."

After about two bell tolls worth of time, our turns finally came and we all managed to get in the labyrinth city by showing our IDs given to us by village elders.
Looks like it's true that you're exempted from entrance fee so long as you have your IDs during this season, I also saw someone who forgot their ID and got asked to pay one silver coin as they turned pale.

"Labyrinth City at last!"
"So where's the Explorer Guild?"
"I don't know. But I don't think we'd get lost."
"Why's that?"
"I mean, that's where everybody around us is heading to right?"

The crowd aren't heading to the street that connects north and south gates, but toward a passage to the west along the white city wall.
We decided to go with this flow.

"What a beautiful river."

As we walked on the maze-like neatly constructed stone pavements, we came across a small stream running through the city. The flowing water looks so clear with small fish and dazzling lights reflected from the sun.

"It's more a waterway than a river. According to dad, this waterway was initially dirty back in the past."
"Is that true?"
"The dirty waterway turned clear under the direction of that Lord Pendragon the [Demon Lord Slayer]."
"Hee, that's awesome!"

He's not only strong but even capable of such feat huh.

"He also made the fake 『Beria Magic Potions』 into real things, distributed food to the poor and rookie explorers, and even built an orphanage for orphaned children, or so I'm told."

Zaki narrated.

"Look! That!"

Keros shouted.

"A white tower?"
"Yep! That's the Explorer Guild!"

There stood a building bigger than anything I've seen before.
The castle in this city was big, but this is even taller than that, and it's got a pretty white color.

"Oy, don't block the road now. Get to the roadside if you're stopping."

A senior explorer-looking man scolded us as we all looked up the tower.

"W-we're sorry."
"S' fine, s' fine. We dropped our jaws like you folks when we first saw that thing too. I'm Jel the Great Shield. I'm open to consultation if ya got trouble."

The senior explorer headed to the direction we came from after candidly telling us that.

"That great shield on his back is so cool!"

I get Gon's surprise.
I've never seen someone 1.5x as tall me as me and a shield as tall as that.

"How'd he walk so casually with such a big shield on his back? That man must be a famous high level explorer."

Zaki is right, a shield that big must be as heavy as two adults.

"Wonder if he's going to the labyrinth?"
"I don't believe so. The labyrinth is in the direction we're heading to."

Apparently that direction Jel-san went to is the entertainment district.

"What is an entertainment district?"
"It's a bar with lots of pretty women. It's also got an establishment lord Pendragon is intimate to and a playhouse he's a patron of there."

Zaki informed us many new things.
I'd like to take a look at least once, but there's nothing but bitter taste with booze, and it costs money, I probably won't ever go there. My little sister also would often warn me, 'Niisan, don't go to an establishment with lots of women, you'd contract a disease.'

Gon and Keros got so excited, Shina even got disillusioned, 'This is why men are....'
I don't really get it, but apparently women hate you if you go to the entertainment district?

Gotta be careful, my lil' sis warned me and all too.

"Let's go. I wanna register right away."

Urged by Rasa, we hurried up to the explorer's guild.

 

 

 

 

 

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku 18-26

18-26. Shooting Stars (3)

 

Satou here. I don't dislike fictions fashioned over pandemic, same with many panic-type movies, but I've never even entertained the thought of experiencing one such situations for real. Peace is best in real life.







I walked up to a body that hadn't been cremated yet.

"Allow me to examine the body."
"Y-ye can't. I ain't letting ya touch my grandson."
"Let him rest in peace."

Unfortunately, I couldn't get the permission to check.
The soldiers in charge of cremation came asking me if I wanted to have the family comply by force, but that's just too much so I plan to patiently persevere until they agree.

--Right.

I used force magic [Through Eye] to check up on the insides of the corpse.

White threads?

Innumerable fungal filaments/hyphae-like matters are growing thickly inside the body.

What the heck are those?
These appear to be the cause of death for the victims.

I'd like to get a sample somehow--.

I tried to execute a Map Search for the strange disease.

"--There it is."

I left the crematory and ran to a nearby forest.
There lied a deer whose internal had been half eaten.

A bear that had its meal interrupted came charging at me while howling fiercely, so I made use of its momentum to throw it back into the forest.
The bear shook its head and attempted another charge, I drove it away by a maxed Intimidation skill.
I'll put a marker on that bear just in case.

"Now then--."

I made a cross section on an internal organ I picked.
The same white hyphae from earlier filled the inside.

Looks like wild animals also act as a vector for this disease.

I stared at the hyphae and scanned over the AR reading.

"...『Disease Hyphae?』"

The heck, it just put the name as is!?

I thought it'd know the disease name from the hyphae... Then suddenly an unpleasant possibility hit me.

"Could this be an entirely new type of disease?!"

I went around the forest to gather the hyphae samples in test tubes I put away in Storage. I also gathered blood samples just in case.
Who could have thought that these hyphae even grew in blood vessels.

"Could eating this meat be the cause--or maybe not."

Don't think people would want to eat the insides with these much hyphae growing unless they have no other choice.

"--And now the question is what caused this."

There must have been something that brought these hyphae here.

But I need opinions from a real expert from here on out.

I consulted with Aze-san through space magic [Telephone].

『--A disease that has hyphae grow inside your body?』
『Yes, it's spreading in my acquaintance's kingdom, perhaps Aze-san knows someone who can offer their expertise on this?』
『Oh that would be Muze-san of Burainan, she knows a lot about this kind of thing.』
『Got it. Thank you again.』

As I hadn't been acquainted yet with Muze-san, I asked Keze-san who always mentioned her during our research to mediate us and went there with the samples through Dryad's [Fairy Road].







"These hyphae are news to me."

Muze-san wearing a bio-lab like protective clothing is holding up the hyphae sample with tweezers.
Then she cut open the back of a test maggot and planted the sample in.

"--This is."

The hyphae proliferated at once, the maggot quickly died out while vomiting liquid.
This happened with other test animals, we found out that the hyphae would proliferate while taking away the nutrients inside the body and blood vessels.

"Do you think we can make an effective medicine for it?"
"First, let us test the drug we have on hand one by one. We found out these hyphae are weak to fire during testing, but that's not a solution for living beings."

Someone knocked beyond the transparent wall, it was Keze-san waving at us.

『It's noontime. Let's all eat curry together.』
"Rich coming from someone who always forgets to have a meal herself--."

Together with the wryly smiling Muze-san, I had a curry dish whose recipe is passed down in Boruenan Keze-san brought for us.
It's got salad too, the complete nutritional set.
There's plenty of foreign vegetables to me, but they're all crisp and so good.

"Muze-sama, I have brought the medicine samples with me."
"Good job. I'll take them inside myself, you can leave them there."

A researcher-looking elf brought around 50 types of medicine on a cart.
With that many, one of them should prove effective at least.

"Let's do this, Satou."
"Geez, you could have at least enjoy after meal tea slowly."

I thanked the grumbling Keze-san for the curry and followed after Muze-san.

"--Uwaah."

The instance we got in, the hyphae left on the body on a petri dish inside stretched out all at once and came assailing us.

--Shelter.

I protected myself and Muze-san with low level defensive magic [Shelter].

"Satou, your magic's melting!"
"--Geh."

The shelter touching the tip of hyphae is dented like it's been eroded.

--Magic neutralization?

I produced [Flexible Swords] outside the shelter and cut the hyphae into pieces. Then I gathered them all into a clump with [Magic Hand] and Muze-san incinerated them wholesale with spirit magic.

『Are you all right, Muze! What happened?!』

Keze-san banged on the transparent wall from outside.

"We're fine. We just discovered these hyphae's favorite food in curry."

Muze-san was probably joking around, but she might not be necessarily wrong seeing that.
We continued our experiment after completely deodorizing the curry smell.

"--Of all the medicine, it's this one huh."

Muze-san smiled wryly.

"Is it some kind of remedy?"

Maybe for athlete's foot?

"It is not. It's a magic potion used to neutralize contaminated sap of the World Trees."
"Contaminated sap, as in--."



"The fluid produced to protect egg sacs laid by Evil Jellyfish."

The last term I would have expected.
How come the topic of Evil Jellyfish comes up about Norooku Kingdom that's completely detached to Void Space?

"I cannot imagine the reason for it, but we have plenty of this medicine in the underground warehouse, take all you need. Mass producing it is a simple matter. We can make more if it's not enough."
"Is there no complication to humans taking this medicine?"
"None whatsoever."

Muze-san confidently stated.

"It's a medicine prescribed for World Trees. We have of course tested it on forest plants and animals beforehand. Theoretically, it has no effect whatsoever on anything but Evil Jellyfish. As long as you mind the dosage, it should pose no harm."

I received the prescription data sheet and skimmed over it.
It appears to be a special magic potion that specifically targets Evil Jellyfish's factor. Yep, this should be fine.

Just in case, I'll test it on volunteers first.

『Master! The people who were cured are relapsing!』

I got an emergency call from Arisa through World Phone.







"Where's the patients?!"

I took a barrel of the magic potion in question and warped back to Norooku Kingdom.

"Over here!"

I followed Arisa toward the patients.

AR Reading showed that the [Strange Disease] has relapsed on them. Searching the Map for it found them propagating back in the patients' bodies.

"All the patients beside the first one are relapsing."

The first patient was the boy who got the precious Lesser Elixir huh.

"Doctor, ain't ours been cured?"
"Aunty, let's leave it to doctor."

Lulu pulled back a family member who came clinging to me, creating a space before the patient.
The patient's [Strange Disease] went away after I let him take one of the few remaining Panaceas.

"It's there, as suspected."

Those who took Panaceas still have a trace amount of hyphae in their bodies.
These hyphae must have propagated from this state until the disease came back.

"Doctor, haven't you cured ours?"
"I merely relieved the symptoms for the time being. For a complete treatment, this medicine here is needed, but it hasn't gone through the clinical trial--"
"Doctor, use it on me."

The patient who just came to from Panacea I used said that.

"It hasn't passed through clinical trial yet. I cannot guarantee its safety."
"No sweat. I shoulda been dead anyway. I ain't mind my life if it coulda save my boy sleeping there."
"Dear!"

The wife clung to the gallant patient.

"Mast--Doctor Hippocrates, let's answer this man's chivalry in kind."

Arisa pushed my back as I was hesitating whether to let him take it or not.

"Are you really sure about it?"
"Give it a shoot. I mean, things ain't going anywhere at this rate. Am I right?"
"--Right, you are."

It's only a matter of time till we run out of panaceas.
Making them takes time even for elves, and they cannot be reproduced infinitely.

"I shall administer it. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to save you even if a rejection occurs."

I don't mind using the few remaining Lesser Elixirs to save this gallant man.

"I believe in you, doctor."

The man received the magic potion and took it in without hesitation.

"Something's warm on my stomach--"

The man spoke nonchalantly before he suddenly paused and started suffering.

"--UGAAGAAGAAGAAGAGAGA."
"D-deaaaar!"

I checked his insides with [Through Eye] as I grabbed a Lesser Elixir from Storage.

"--Master."
"It's fine. The hyphae just resisted a bit."

The hyphae attempted to break out of the body to escape the magic potion, but they crumbled into pieces starting from the tip down.
I cast recovery magic on the man and forcefully made him ingest an anesthetic.
Supported by [Magic Hand] to ensure breathing. Through Eye magic sure is handy.

"The pain went away--"

The man fell into slumber due to the anesthetic.

It took 30 minutes for the complete removal, but he did make a complete recovery afterward.
Next time, we gotta use anesthetic and stamina restoratives together with the magic potion.

I'd have liked to make a proper observation while administering other patients, but this is a race against time.

Even now many patients are going into coma.

"Next--."

No one would stand up for a while likely due to the man's scream earlier, but once a physical worker-looking man volunteered and demonstrated the medicine effectiveness, things went smoothly.

The treatment continued on day and night, and more and more patients would come after hearing rumors.
At the same time, I had Noromos town guards to inform the people not to eat animal meat, the disease vector.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >




Once the influx of new patients calmed down, a messenger from the royal capital finally dropped by.

"Doctor Hippocrates, his majesty the king has recognized your achievements, and you are hereby appointed as the royal family's personal doctor."
"Please relay to them that I respectfully decline."

I'm good with not taking such a bothersome sounding job.

"How dare you refuse his majesty's goodwill!"

The messenger flew into a rage like a nobleman would, but we have more pressing matters to attend to.

"The treatment procedure is listed here. Gather all the doctors and priests to systemically make it known. Also, we're running short of anesthetic, you should mobilize the kingdom's apothecaries and alchemists to produce more supply."

I ignored the messenger and talked to a capable-looking aide.
I have sent the cure and prescription to the royal capital already, but they're moving so slow.

"H-however--."
"You're the only one who can save the populace. It's your time to shine as a hero."

Arisa showed up out of nowhere and whispered that to the aide.

"Understood. I shall set about to directly appeal to his majesty right away."
"What are you talking--."

The aide took the document from my hand, and persuaded the messenger back to the capital full of motivation.

"Did you--"

Arisa put her index finger on her lips and threw an awkward wink.
She probably used the lost mind magic with her skill to change that aide's mind.

"What do we do now?"
"Let's leave this place to the doctor and go after the origin of this disease."

I left with the girls after entrusting the place to the doctor.
Our guide is the first man who took the magic potion and his son.

"'Round half a year ago, a whole lot of wild animals came down the mountain."

Gofe, the meat-loving boy spoke.

Him and the members of his village were the few surviving initial victims.
I'm guessing that they probably ate a weak specimen of the hyphae and built up antibody.

We're heading for their village.

Map Search showed that around two mountains away from the village, the hyphae are gathering in abundance.
It must have caused an outbreak through the wild animals it leeched on.

"And here is your village huh."
"Yep. Everybody's gone to Noromos town though, so it's deserted."

I asked Gofe-kun's father about all kinds of things, like the type of animals and where were the unusual phenomenon happened.

"You guys wait here. I'll go take a quick look at the forest."
"I'll be yer' guide. I'm a hunter by trade. Gotta make m'self useful."
"Nah, no need."
"Yes. We will go with--."

Sorry Liza, but it's really dangerous beyond this point, so I'm going on ahead by myself.

"I'm just checking things up from the sky with Flying Boots. You girls, please keep them safe."
"Acknowledged."

Liza affirmed while subduing her chagrin.

I put on Flying Boots and flew high into the sky.

"Escorts."
"Please leave the sniping to me."
"Time to exterminate filth!"

Behind me, Mia, Lulu and Arisa followed carried by Sylph.

"Uwaah! What in the world is that!"
"Mwu, filthy."
"The entire mountain is pure white."

Arisa was shocked, Mia frowned, and Lulu concisely put the scene before us into words.
With the mountain valley as the epicenter, the whole mountain has been dyed white by the hyphae outbreak.

"Slope."
"It's like it's been gouged out. Did a meteorite fall on it or something?"
"There is a big depression formed along the slope."
"Looks like a crater. Wait, did a meteorite really fall here--."

--Satou! We did it.

I had a flashback of the word Keze-san spoke to me.

When was it, when did they shoot down the hundreds Evil Jellyfish targeting the World Trees with Vulgtumm Eyes again.

How come a magic potion used to treat sap contaminated by Evil Jellyfish work on the hyphae.

"Jellyfish?"
"So true. The dome of hyphae on the center of that crater is really shaped like a jellyfish."

Arisa pointed at the crater.
It does indeed resemble a jellyfish--an Evil Jellyfish targeting World Trees.

"Hollow."
"Now that you mention it, there's nothing inside. Wonder if it's just the outside?"

There is a black carbonized-like lump inside the jellyfish crater, visible between gaps.
According to AR reading it's called Evil Jellyfish Life Core. Must come from that thing judging the name.

"Doesn't it look like it's regenerating?"

A great number of animal bones are laying around the jellyfish shape.

This is just a guess--but it might have latched on wild animals, parasitizing them to use them as a seedbed to recreate the body it lost from entering the atmosphere.

"What to do, master?"
"Let's burn it down."
"It's gonna get spread out instead if you don't burn it well."
"It'll be fine."

I took my secret weapon out of Storage.

"Curry smell?"
"Yep."

These hyphae seem to have an acute sense of smell, they've already gathered right below us. At tremendous speed.
I controlled wind magic to scatter the curry smell over the surrounding mountains.

"Uwaah, they all got here"
"Weird."
"I wonder if that white thing likes curry?"

I find it weird too.

"Beasts."
"Sure is a lot of them."

Wild animals are running here from outside the white area.
They are too victims. I loathe to burn them down along with the jellyfish.

Using a sling fashioned from simple cloth and Throwing skill, I threw sap contamination magic potion at the wild animals, saving them from the disease. I threw diluted magic potion at the dying-looking individuals.

"Sylph, rise."
""Master!""

Arisa and Lulu grabbed my arms, and we all moved up the altitude through Sylph.
Looking below, the hyphae had formed into a tentacle as it attempted to catch us.

Lulu shot down the hyphae with her magic gun while Arisa mowed them down with fire magic.

"Geez, keep it together now."
"My bad, my bad."

I apologized to the girls and contacted Liza.

『Liza, I'm going to burn down the disease origin. You may see flames burning beyond the mountain, it's safe, don't worry.』
『Affirmative. Best of luck, master.』

Once the hyphae had gathered enough I burned them all down along with the mountain with mid level offensive magic [Fire Storm].

"Uhyaaa, that firepower's even more brutal than Guildmaster's~."
"Nn, fiendish."
"Master, you're amazing!"

The heat was strong enough to almost scald us, so I stopped it with wind magic.

I looked for the hyphae survivors with Map Search and diligently went around burning them down with Petit Fire.
Thanks to this effort, I managed to eradicate the cause of the strange disease in Norooku Kingdom by the end of the day.

I leave reporting to the town to Gofe boy and his father, as we went around secretly curing the remaining patients in the satellite cities, as well as retrieving the contaminated food--mostly dried jerky--ending the disease for good.

At the last temporary hospital we visited, the doctor and priest there thanked us in tears, and the patients and their family members treated us like saviors.
The governor of Noromos town held a feast to celebrate the occasion with food aplenty, the whole town was wrapped in festive merrymaking.

"Delish-lish~"
"There's not a lot of meat-san, but everything tastes super good nodesu."

As the disease vector turned out to be animal meat, people got rid of all meat even unrelated ones before I could stop them.

"Master, we've been gifted cheese."
"So, they say the cheese here is famous even in Saga Empire."

Well that just makes me curious.
Might as well pop open some good old wine.

That day, I ended up joining shoulders to shoulders with the patients as they drank in tears and found myself wasted the next day, but thanks to a hot bath Liza and the townspeople prepared, I freshened up.

Thus the shooting star incident came to a close.







"Satou-dono! Doctor Hippocrates really went and did it noja!"

Princess Mitia received a message from her kingdom thanking her for recommending Doctor Hippocrates along with a letter of commendation and a medal for Doctor Hippocrates. The girls didn't get theirs, so I plan to handcraft some myself and give those to them.

As for the reconstruction effort in Norooku Kingdom ravaged by the epidemic, Echigoya Firm which was established without much fuss there would help with it, things should go well.

Naturally, I also talked about the matter happening on the ground with Keze-san the impetus of this all, and made her promise to completely destroy any jellyfish that fell down the ground.
As for compensation to Norooku Kingdom, it'll be talked about between the people of interest, nothing to do with me.

"Awright, and now to the good latter half! We're gonna finish off the Floor Master there!"

Pushed by Arisa's energetic voice, we set out toward Selbira Dungeons once again today.

 

 

 

 

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku 18-25

 18-25. Shooting Stars (2)

 

※It goes without saying, this is a work of fiction.
Any individuals, organizations or infectious diseases depicted bear no relation to reality.


A temporary hospital in Norooku Kingdom is the very picture of a battlefield.

"--Doc! Grev-san the stone dealer has started vomiting."
"Dammit, guess Miasma Poisoning antidote's no good."

Scale-wise, this novel disease has obliterated two remote villages, even this Noromos town is seeing a record number of death due to it.

"Common Cold, Forest Fever, Miasma Poisoning, Goblin Sickness, Apetear Sickness... the symptoms are all similar with every single one of those illness, yet this is none of them. Just what cure should we administer for this!"

The doctor flung the sense of helplessness and irritation swallowing him onto a desk in the waiting room.

As the early symptoms resemble that of a common epidemic disease in Norooku Kingdom known as Forest Fever, they thought it was Forest Fever or a variant of it at first.

"Right, what about the well maker? Is he doing well? That patient was nearing his limit."
"He's still maintaining the lull state. The symptoms haven't receded but they are not getting worse either."

(...What's the meaning of this? The scarce Miasma drug had no effect, yet the dewormer a nurse prescribed by mistake worked?)

The doctor furrowed his brows after hearing his assistant's report.

(...No that can't be right. It must have been the work of that revised Forest Fever drug prescribed before the dewormer.)

"Use the revised Forest Fever drug we used on the well maker to young patients with enough strength."
"We only have five of that drug left..."
"The selection is yours to take."
"N-no..."

The fainthearted assistant stood in shock with a pale face.

(Triage is too much for her huh...)

"I'm revising my directive. Use the drug starting on those nearest to adult age."
"I understand. We will get to it right away."
"Also, increase production of this revised drug!"
"Yes doctor!"

The assistant ran out of the waiting room.

"Director, may I have your time?"

A priest of Saga Empire who had come from the adjacent Saga Empire to help with the treatment effort came in.

"Priest-sama! How did it go with the holy magic!"
"Do calm down, director."

The priest stopped the almost jumping doctor with a raised hand.

"I'll get straight to the result. The patient made a complete recovery by the use of advanced level healing spell."
"Is that true!"

The overworked emaciated looking doctor brightened up to hear good news after all this time.

"But even I can only manage three cast of advanced level healing magic a day."
"--W-what about Mid-level?"
"It relieved the symptoms but only temporarily."
"No..."

Of course this town, Noromos has plenty of priests.

But there's not a single virtuous clergy capable of advanced level healing magic.
Nay, there was in fact one, but he contracted the disease early when it was only thought as a Forest Fever and left this world.

"Thrice a day may be a fruitless endeavor but it is better than nothing."
"Thank you very much, priest-sama."
"Save your gratitude. We should make preparations for the treatment as soon as possible."
"Acknowledged."
"Also, collect as many mana recovery potions as you can, it should help raise the number further per day."
"But doing that would put a burden on your--"
"It matters not. These old bones haven't got much left in this world anyway. Using it up for the sake of these youngsters' future would be Lord's will."

The doctor bowed deeply at the back of the priest as he left the room.

Taking excessive mana recovery potions harms one's body, a common sense even among doctors.
An elderly priest doing that would shorten his life--.

The assistant noisily barged into the silent waiting room.

"Doctor! We've received a report from the capital's dispensary!"
"--Gimme!"

The doctor quickly ran through the report.

"There's no new development."
"The bigshots at Shiga Kingdom won't be much help will they."
"Don't say that. From what a friend told me, even ministers and nobles aren't allowed to leave the capital."
"Do you mean the disease has reached the capital too?"

The doctor nodded to the assistant.

Many people have left this town of Noromos for capital to escape the disease.

"This goes for high ranking priests capable of advanced level healing spells as well. It would be great if Shiga Kingdom could at least provide some Panaceas for us..."

Doctor shrugged his shoulders as he muttered.
A sound of something breaking disrupted the gloomy air.

"--Please stop it! This is a temporary hospital!"
"What?"
"That was Nurse Chururu's voice!"

Tumultuous noises could be hear from the temporary hospital's hall.

"Let's head there."
"Wait, please."

The assistant stopped the doctor as he was about to head out.

"That could be Forest Fever Fundamentalists."
"What the heck is that?"

The doctor looked displeased as he listened.

"There's no such thing as a novel disease. The patients are just sick from Forest Fever, or so this group believes."
"How the heck are these patients dying while vomiting blood if it were Forest Fever!"
"I understand. It's what this group wishes to believe. They think the patients are dying because of older style treatment. They've been telling the townspeople that we, medical people, did all this to fill our pockets."
"What a pesky group."
"They're dangerous. Doctor, you should stay here. I'll go call the guard and--"

As the assistant was speaking the door to the room got broken open before hoodlums in bloodstained clothes broke in.

It was humans themselves who would stand in the way of dealing with this disease.



◆◆◇◆◇◇



"--Hippocrates-dono?"

As we arrived at Norooku Kingdom, we changed into our disguises before contacting the authority.
Wearing the specially made void space suits of course.

Though I think it's not as striking as a plague mask, the sight of an inverted goldfish bowl wrapping your head is still a surreal one.
The void space pilot suits are skintight so we could hide them with robes and coats, but there's nothing we can do with the helmets.

"Umu, I have undertaken a request of Princess Mitia. This is the written notice."

I asked for one from princess Mitia before departing here since I knew we would get here first.

"Epidemic expert? Sounds shady--and your strange clothes are then due to that?"
"Umu, do forgive our unusual attires. In our school of belief, these clothes are a necessity during investigations."

A man who seemed to be a minister replied back, "I see", then he ordered a chamberlain to lead us to the place where the patients are being treated.
I thought the minister would just shoo us away seeing the "Can't trust them", "You damn sham" looks on his face, yet he's giving us a preferential treatment, makes senses as it's the biggest issue in the kingdom right now.

"We're leaving the capital?"
"Indeed we are, we shall be heading for Noromos town. The patients have been gathered in the suburbs there."
"A quarantine space huh."
"Yes as we must not let this disease spread further in the capital."

From Map Search, there are several people afflicted by [Novel Disease] in the capital already.
Quarantining them would be best here, but me asking them to do that now would just meet with an opposition.

I should have made some sort of detector magic tool.

As I was ruminating that, I could hear a strange voice from outside our carriage.

"This novel disease thing is a big fat lie!"
"Don't be deceived by those medical industry folk's ploy to fake Forest Fever!"

Peeking outside the window, I saw a group of people from all social class gathering.
There were elderly and even young people that haven't come of age.

"Please pay them no heed."
"--And those are?"
"Conspiracy theorists. Forest Fever is a common epidemic disease around these parts, and this novel disease shares similar symptoms with it during early stage."

Their excessive fear of this novel disease makes these people believe that it's not a novel disease at all, but a common cold, and this is all a ploy to sell medicine by evil nobles and medical industry.

"Is that true?"
"Of course not. Besides, those who take the medicine and those who don't all met the same fate, death. Their arguments are full of holes."
"Hmmph, there really are people who act like those people in panic and pandemic movies eh~."

Arisa had a weird impression.

"--This is bad."

Another group different from earlier is wreaking havoc in the temporary hospital we're heading to.

"What's up?"
"It's a mobbing. I'm going on ahead--"

I jumped out of the carriage after saying that.
Liza and other combat personnel followed me.

We ran ahead and arrived at a place that looks like a refugee camp before rushing to a temporary hospital area in the corner.

A group of mob have it surrounded.

"What? Glass head?"

A sword wielding man turned his sword at me.

I flung the man away with the magical psychokinesis [Magic Hand] and struck down all the idiots besieging the hospital.

"Liza! Take care of the mob outside!"
"Understood! Tama, Pochi, come. Nana, secure the entrance."
"Aye aye sir~."
"Roger nanodesu! Pochi is a pro at beating down villains nanodesuyo!"
"Yes, Liza. None shall pass here so I announce."

The beastkin girls knocked out the hoodlums with overwhelming force while Nana stopped the mob trying to go after me with her iron fortress.

I beat down the hoodlums inside the hospital, and rushed to the medical supply storage room which seemed to be their target.
A doctor and a priest as well as several other personnel are inside the room protected by a holy magic barrier.
The doctor and priest are full of blood but they're still alive.

"Our help is--monster?!"

I got called monster by the people I was rescuing but that's understandable with my look.
I mean even the hoodlums stopped their attempt to destroy the barrier and turned at me.

"What the heck are you!"
"Those who don't belong in the hospital may leave now."

I'm not in the mood to argue with hoodlums, so I just threw them one by one out of the sole window in the room.
Of course they all went at me, but since none of them was particularly skilled, it was no issue.

"I am Hippocrates. A doctor, here to aid Norooku Kingdom."

Thus I said to the dumbfounded doctor and priest.

"W-we're saved~."
"Thought I'd die here."

The staff members hugged each other in relief.

"Our gratitude for your timely rescue."
"D-doctor! We must attend to your wound."
"I see you are deeply wounded. Here, use this magic potion."

I gave them some restoratives I had and asked the event that led to mob attacking them.
Apparently a radical faction of the demonstrators were the culprits.

"Mas--Hippocrates-sama."

Liza showed up behind the window where I threw the mob out to give status report.

"We have suppressed the mob outside. All of them arrested."
"Well done. Please keep watch until the carriage arrives."

Liza and the girls are so reliable.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >




Just as I was about done putting the rioters in a pit I made with [Pitfall] earth magic, the chamberlain and Arisa group arrived on their carriage.

We asked the people from refugee camp who had come to check the situation in the hospital to fetch the guard at Noromos town.
According to the doctor these refuges are people who left their villages and towns ravaged by the disease.

"Uwaa, this is no Nightingale tale, what's up with this horrible scene."

Arisa sighed her biggest as she got down the carriage.
By Nightingale tale, did she mean the story of battlefield hospital before her arrival?

Whoops, gotta focus.

Looking again at this hospital, on top of being dirty all over including the bedding and shut windows, they even had a pile of burned corpses right outside. Apparently the rioters were going to set this hospital on fire using that.
Not sanitary at all, and neither is it good for mental health.
It's also bad for the mental well being of the patients who would see those bodies getting burned.

"This won't do at all. ■..."

I feigned chanting to create a [Clay Wall] as a veil.

Next up, ventilation--.

"Mia, please summon Sylph to help with ventilation inside buildings."
"Nn, will do. ■..."

Next up, hygiene--.

"Liza, go with Nana and the girls to change the bedding and clothes."

I took a huge stack of clothes and bedding out of Storage via Item Box.

"Acknowledged."
"Accepting order so I report."
"Helping hand~?"
"Roger nanodesu!"

The beastkin girls and Nana can take care of the patients.

Lastly, nutrition supplements--.

"Lulu, help the people here to cook food good for digestive system."
"Yes, I will get to it."

"Oral rehydration included?"
"Can I count on you?"
"Leave it to me!"

I also handed over handmade masks and antiseptic solution to teach the local personnel here--or rather, patient family and people dispatched by temples on the basic of disease prevention.

"Doctor-dono, where can I find the most severely ill patients?"
"All of them here. Every single one of them came here right before the blood vomiting stage."

And once they do, they die, thus the doctor spoke with a gloomy expression.

"May I take a look at the patients?"
"Naturally. --Here. This has the medical records, though it may not be of much help."
"Much obliged."

I walked to a boy with the least amount of health while skimming the record.

"Jarji! Open your eyes Jarji! Aren't you planning to name the goatling!"

A woman that seemed to be the mother desperately called out the boy's name.
The boy is already in a comatose state.

"I'm here to treat him."

As it was urgent, I peeled the woman away from the boy with [Magic Hand] and poured a Lesser Elixir down the boy's mouth.
I used [Magic Hand] to prevent the liquid flowing into his airway path.

A blue magic circle lit up on the boy's chest as his body rapidly got healed up.
The deathly pale boy regained his healthy complexion in the blink of an eye.

The boy slowly opened his eyes.

"--It's a miracle."

The doctor muttered in astonishment.

"Jarji, do you recognize me?"
"....Mom?"
"Jarji! Oh goodness! Thank you so much doctor!"
"He still lacks the stamina. Let him sleep for now."

Looks like even an unidentified disease is no match to the miraculous elixir, lesser it may be.

"Doctor Hippocrates! What is this medicine? With this we can--."
"It's a Lesser Elixir."
"Elixir? That legendary medicine created by elves? How many do you..."

I shook my head to reply the doctor.
I only have a handful of Lesser Elixirs left.

Other patient family brushed the doctor aside and came clinging to me.

"Doctor, please for our kid."
"My husband too!"
"And my wife!"

"I shall decide the order. Go attend to your family and don't get in the way."

Next up, Panacea.

"He's cured!"
"Thank you doctor!"

Someone with Appraisal skill shouted out loud followed by the patient family.
Panaceas also worked fine on those in critical conditions.

"Doctor Hippocrates, that looked like a different vial, what was that?"
"Panacea."
"That's very scarce!"
"I don't have many of this left either--"

The doctor's face went glum as I spoke.

"Fret not. I do however have enough for this whole hospital."

The doctor broke into a smile and the priest sat down a nearby chair in relief.
They must have devoted their all into treating the patients despite the lack of effective treatment. The priest is even in an overdose state of mana medicine. He went above and beyond despite his age. Good work. Please take it easy now.

--That said, I'll run out of Panaceas soon at this rate.

There are way more patients in this whole kingdom after all.

"My child could have been saved if only you came a day earlier..."
"Forgive me."

As I soothed the bereaved families who couldn't help but express their grudge, I split up the work of giving Panaceas to patients in critical conditions with the doctor.

"This should buy us time. Next up--."

Investigating the cause of this disease.

 

 

 

 

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

www.CodeNirvana.in

Copyright © Sousetsuka | About | Contact | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer