Chapter 28 (1/2)
The Shaman can't become a Hero
Act 4: Two-Headed Hound
Chapter 28: Frog of the Lake
“Ah, that’s—“
After Futaba-san hunted that snake, we ended our break, and have been advancing for a while now And all of a sudden, the trees cleared up, and our field of vieidened
“Wow, it’s a lake”
Just as Futaba-san expressed kind of like a tourist, over there, was a lake right in the middle of the forest
“From closer, it must be really pretty”
Reflecting white light, the glittering water surface was calm, and the pristine water was so clear you could see the botto back here Froht I could honestly compare to a tourist spot
“I’d prefer to not get too close though We haven’t got a clue as to what kind of aquatic Monsters are in there”
As we’ve secured a practically infinite supply of potable water in the Fairy Square, there’s no reason for us to approach the lake
“Let’s keep away froo around”
There’s no other choice With Futaba-san as vanguard, and keeping the lake to our right, wearound it
“Huh?”
The problem, appears all too soon
“What happened, Momokawa-kun?”
“The Co to the lake”
After going around the periic Co
“Probably a coincidence Let’s go, a bit more”
But, my naive hopes are shot down fast The Compass continues to point to the center of the lake
I’d have thought it was telling us to go to the opposite bank, but noat the lake Even though I can’t see any path there
“The Note Circle going haywire isn’t, possible right”
Futaba-san can’t be bla at first
“I don’t know if the Note Circle is bugging out or not, and right noe’ve got no way of confir that either”
If this co funky, then our dungeon capture will coht here
“I guess, we need to steel ourselves and look into the lake after all”
This isn’t the great outdoors but athe case, there’s no reason for there not to be a hidden path inside the lake If possible I’d like there not to be so back a key, or a stone tablet, or Key Item, or some bullshi+t puzzle or riddle to find the password or so
“Let’s look in the water, see if you find so”
And so, we put on our vigilance, and with caution, bring ourselves closer to the lake Looking at it anew, it just looks like a beautiful lake In the clear water, I could find schools of fish swi around
For a ti the lakeside
“How is it, Futaba-san, see anything?”
“Hmm, No, not rea— Ah”
Looking as if she found so already, Futaba-san raised her voice and pointed
“There, so is under the water!”
I focus at the pointed direction but yeah, can’t see anything It’s not as bad that I’d need glasses, but seeht depart her vision
“Kay, let’s go”
Of course, I don’tto a place where I’ll be able to see the structure Futaba-san saw Fortunately, it’s not too far Or ht where we started from, came out of the forest and arrived at the lake
“Woah, how did I not notice so like this”
That thing appeared so clearly inside the lake that I unconsciously leaked out such an impression
At a glance, it looked to be a bridge sunken in the lake I say sunken, but the depth to the path was only around 30 cnated indoor shoes to get soaked inside out, then it’s an easy walk across
The width is around that of a 1-car lane, so there’s plenty of breathing rooe itself doesn’t collapse, on’t
This Waterline looks as if it spans the whole lake, going straight across I can’t confirh[1]
(TN: Waterline = underwater path, a uselessly coined ters nicer
)
“Hey, are we, crossing this?”
“I don’t want to, to be honest, but this is what the Co you know”
Apparently, this is the correct route We just need to resolve ourselves, and march on
Thus reluctantly, I put one foot into the water and then
Bubbles suddenly start rising Doesn’t look like any natural pheno in the water, so out air
“So’s there!? Get back!“
Futaba-san, despite her large body, does a sharp back-step, while I on the other hand, spin around in feverish haste and pathetically run like abody near to the forest and restwater, a great shadow springs out from the lake
“Uah, a frog! It’s a big frog Momokawa-kun!”
On top of the Waterline, as if blocking all traffic, exactly as Futaba-san said, there sat a big frog Yeah, really big I
Overall, it looks to be bigger than even an Arlossy skin like its Earth-born brothers, so it’s likely softer-skinned than the Armor Bear, and blades ork on it, I hope
Its figure, short and stout, the surface of its skin was rugged arts like a bullfrog I can only hope it doesn’t spit any poison
“Futaba-san, quietly Maybe it isn’t ai for us”
“Ehh, but this frog, it’s ai for Momokawa-kun see!”
“Eh, really!? You can tell!”
“I can! Ehm, it’s like, it feels like that!”
Is this another of the Berserker’s powers? In the three Novice Skills, there wasn’t anything like Sense Presence, so is it like a Hidden Status or soht now, I should believe her words instead of doubting them