Vol 2 Chapter 9 (1/2)
LEVEL 2: Everything is Precious, Nothing is Replaceable
Chapter 9: Let Go of Jealousy
Haruhiro was not a natural leader He lacked both character and ability, and that was very difficult to reht, Haruhiro had renewed his determination to do his best as one He doubted that he would ever becooal nonetheless
Now here they were, on the fourth stratum of the Siren Mines, just as Haruhiro had promised yesterday
“Hey everyone, look here! Look! Look!” Yu to some kind of animal beyond it “Ain’t those just darlin’?”
“What the—hell no!” caree
The creatures tottering about beyond the fence looked sort of like pigs at first glance, but then again also rese like shaved rats the size of pigs No one knehat the kobolds called therats” And an appropriate nareed
The area contained a nurats in them But that wasn’t all
“Yus over there are adorable too!” Yu over to another pen “Or… maybe not Never mind These aren’t cute at all…”
“What are those?” Rather than approach the barrier, shi+horu leaned forward for a look, but drew back terrified “E, gross Disgusting…”
Mogzo nodded and grunted his agreement
“They’re…” Haruhiro glanced briefly at the creatures in the non-pigrat pen and wished that he hadn’t “Absolutely horrendous I get the feeling things that ugly were never meant to be seen”
The corner of Mary’s htly “I think…I know exactly what you mean”
The creatures had no ars, or tail Their bodies weren’t thin; they were plu, tore off all its appendages and tail, then stretched it out lengthwise Apparently, they were called “pigworiven to them by reserve force soldiers, and they were unexpectedly terrifying in appearance
“H to poke one
“Hey,” Haruhiro grabbed him “Ranta, don’t”
“What? Shut up, Haruhiro Just trying it to see what happens It’s not like I was being serious or anything”
“How’s it possible to try and not be serious?” Haruhiro deretted the words the o, let theRanta way too earnestly
“It’s perfectly possible for me,” Ranta retorted
“Oh Okay”
“More-than-way-beyond perfectly possible Got it?!”
“Yes, yes, got it,” Haruhiro said
“Then repeat it for me!” Ranta demanded
“It’s more-than-way-beyond perfectly possible for you,” Haruhiro repeated
“Don’t do it using my exact words!”
Haruhiro ignored the raging Ranta and instead looked back at the herd of pigwor the ground was like sohtmare
“Don’t tell me that’s what kobolds eat…” Haruhiro murmured
It was said that the fourth straturicultural sector Their i than crops, but darkshroolow blossoht—all ht were cultivated here
Kobolds were living beings If they didn’t eat, they would die With the exception of lesser kobolds, they rarely ventured outside the mountain, so they had to sustain themselves down here somehow The result was that, after all mineral ore here had been exhausted, the spacious fourth stratum was converted to farmland
“Get down!” Mary suddenly said, pointing to the ground
Haruhiro, shi+horu, Mogzo, and Ranta dropped i
“Hoin—”
“Just do it!” Haruhiro grabbed her ar to force her down to a crouch, but ended upher fall backwards instead
“Ow!” Yume yelped
“S-sorry! But—wait, shh!” Haruhiro hushed, index finger at his mouth
He said no e Haruhiro and the others stayed crouched by the fence, ood three minutes before Ranta peeked over
“Gone… I think,” he reported
“You think?” Haruhiro slowly poked half his head above the fence and took a thorough look around There was one elder kobold in the distance, but it had its back to the away “It’s still there Let’s wait a little longer”
When Haruhiro looked again atheir way “Trouble!” he hissed
“Oy oy oy,” Ranta sighed “How long are we gonna hide? Let’s just take it out!”
Haruhiro’s expression turned thoughtful for a aze She shook her head
“Don’t,” she advised “This isn’t like the upper strata If we fail to kill it in an instant, the noise fronites an inferno”
Ranta scoffed “Fine Then we take it out in one blow”
“Easier said than done,” Haruhiro snapped, thoroughly annoyed
“Maybe… it’s possible,” shi+horu suddenly said “With ic”
“Ah,” Haruhiro’s eyes ide “That’s right [PHANTOM SLEEP]”
“Yes,” shi+horu said “But… we’ll be in real trouble if I miss Maybe it’s better not to risk it…”
“You guys,” Ranta had his I-a-to-piss-everyone-off expression on again “Always thinking about stuff negatively is like being afraid to drink water because it et what I mean? Yeah?”
Haruhiro wished that if Ranta was going to try to ies, he could have at least putup one that was more appropriate to the situation And with that silent rebuttal, Haruhiro let the moment of confrontation pass As the party leader, it was vital that he acquired this let it go skill