Vol 2 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Volume 2 Chapter 4: Attackers at Gateside
“ Satou here Ants are used to describe diligent workers, but hite ants (ter In this world, there seems to be even more troublesome ants… „
On the way back to Gateside Inn, we run into county soldiers who have just returned from patrol
“Ahh, Zena-chi!”
“Lilio! Iona-san and Lou too!”
Zena-san’s three guards come over after rollcall on the Gateside Plaza
Perhaps having battled another wyvern, Miss Iona and other armored soldiers have all sorts of scratches on their equipment
The tall wo one of her shoulder pads
Running up to the spells
“Goshujin-sae”
“Yes, please”
Arisa and the beastgirls separate in front of the inn, then respectivly head to the room and the stable
In place of Zena-san who is busy chanting her spell, I chat with Lilio and others
“You look quite exhausted! Did you fight another wyvern?”
“If wyverns show up that often, I would have quit the aro”
Lilio sighs and shakes her head A gesture that would mean no different in japan
“Today, we fought with antAnts’”
“Man, those rat bastards! I’ll turn them into kebabs the next time I see them!”
Miss Iona tries to explain for Lilio, but the tall Lou
Ants or rats, which one was it?
“Before we ran into the group of Large Fang Ants, we discovered ratry because she thinks the rat Ants here”
Seeing confusion on my face, Miss Iona adds
I see, the ratmen had led a Monster Train2 here
If this goes on, Seiryuu County and the ratht start a war
But, is it really fine to tell an outsider about this? Maybe the discipline here isn’t as strict, or ence control as important
“The bright red helmet bastard at the front of their teaallows next time I meet him!”
As if to appease Lilio, Zena-san casts her healing Wind Magic spell
“Thank you, Zena-chi”
“You’re welcome”
After responding to Lilio and the others with a soes to heal the other wounded
“Noo——!”
A young girl’s scream can be heard from the inn’s courtyard
—shi+t, I haven’t reset the range of the Radar
The voice was Yuni-chan’s She probably found a snake or soo check on her
For some reason, Lilio and the others follow me
“Got prey~”
“Goshujin-sama! Praise us, nano desu!”
Ta raised over her head with both hands Pochi is running behind her and holding a stick of lumber on one hand
Seeing that, Lilio and the others unsheath their swords at the same time
In the face of sudden hostility, Pochi and Tama stop dead in their tracks
“No need to worry, it’s already dead”
I tell the three raising their swords what I confirh the AR, then ask Tama what happened
“What’s with that ant?”
Yes, the prey that Ta Ant”
“Defeated~?”
“It was on top of a wagon and attacked no desu!”3
The tave their hand around to answer my question
The carcass they set down is full of dents apparently made by a blunt weapon, and on the head has a hole probably punctured by Liza’s spear
“Goshujin-sama, there doesn’t seem to be more monsters around”
Liza comes to report, her spear propped up on her shoulder Behind her stands Yuni-chan
Probably having been spooked, Yuni-chan is gripping Liza’s coat with her s hand
Hhtly different, but was this one missed by the county soldiers?
The Radar’s range is too sate
—Red The nu from deep within the forest
“Pochi, Ta Lulu down here Liza, go get the tent that was used as bed cover”
“Yes, nano desu!”
“Aye!”
“Okay~”
“Yes, sir”
The four starts ht Arisa would want to know the reason, but like the beastgirls, she just jumps into action
My actions probably seem out of nowhere, so Miss Iona asks suspiciously
“What’s the matter?”
“This Flying Ant, it can’t be acting alone I’ht be more You should send at least several riders out to check—”
Overshadowing the seely believable excuse I’ve made with the Deception skill, one of the towers on the wall cuts off my sentence with an alarm
They probably saw the ants approaching
After hearing the alarm, Zena-san and other soldiers all run to their respective captains
The Madam and Martha-chan look out froafter Liza left, and I usher her towards them
According to the Map’s data, the Flying Ants are only about Level 3 Individually, they’re weaker than fully-equipped county soldiers About as strong as the average adult
Only, these Flying Ants all have sharp claws and exoskeletons tougher than norerous for the average citizen
The best scenario is to burn them with the spell “Fire Shot” while they’re still in the air, outside the city But the flying speed of these monsters is otten to the city wall in my brief hesitation
The ants are flying right past the city wall, but like birds suddenly encountering glass, they then turn back toward the other side
So above the wall and falling off The ants that didn’t crash can’t seem to accelerate, and are shot down by the archers as they slowed
—What was that?
“The monster deflection barrier on the city wall see”
As if predicting the question in ht Lulu downstairs
“Barrier? But they passed right through?”
“This isn’t space Magic If they set up a constant physical barrier, it would waste too much mana”
I re physical resistance…No, this isn’t the time
“Arisa, take Lulu inside the tavern to hide That place has stone walls on three sides, so it should be safe
I’ll let Pochi and Tauard the entrance”
I order Arisa, and also have Pochi and Tama stand at the entrance when they co soht here, I et in
“Pochi and Tama, I’ll leave the entrance to you”
“Yes nano desu!”
“And goshujin-sama~?”
“I’ll be clearing the monsters that come close to the inn with Liza”
People working outside the city are now running inside Some seem to have already been hurt
The county soldiers stand in for a defensive spell against air attacks, but it’s taking a while likely because of the sheer size
After the dogkin slave carring a large basket has gotten inside, the front gate begins to close
Like a rude coet on a train that’s about to depart, an ant lodges itself into the gap of the nearly closed front gate
“There’s only one, crush it with the gate!”
Frouards
However, there is no longer just one
During the brief ap, wedging open the gate—in the end, the ants have successfully broke into the city
With Zena-san now at their side, the Patrol teae the ants
Ants that try to take flight after entering the city are struck down by Zena-san’s “Fallen Hauards shoot down any that avoided the spell with their crossbows
Under the threat of Zena-san’sto fly
Turning into a ground battle is in the county soldiers’ favor, but there are still to many ants
Dozens of ants get past the soldiers and begin to attack Liza and me Of course, the nearby shops are also under attack
“Goshujin-sama, allow me”
Liza swings her black spear against the swarm of ants Stab, sweep, sla momentum
Soo for the horses in the courtyard, but I blast through the Micro coins
—Hh of a hook
If I practice a little more, I can probably even hit enemies behind obstacles
While I aet careless about covering Liza, and several ants approach the Gateside Inn
“You shall not pass no desu!”4
“Entry Prohibited~?”
Blocking the ants trying to attack the inn, Pochi and Tama stand in their way
The folks inside the inn screaet closer
“Hah, nano desu!”
Pochi raises the short sword resting on her waist and assaults the first ant, defeating it in one hit
Seeing Pochi stop herdown their claws—
“Getting careless~?”
Hopping onto Pochi’s back, Tama blocks the ants’ attacks with her short sword and buckler
“Tama, thanks nano desu!”
“Just doin’ what ‘ah can~?”5
Why Okinawan slang—wait, that wasn’t Arisa?
When the ants pull back their claws, Ta her short sword into the head of one ant
Meanwhile, crouching down froround and thrusts upwards, piercing the other ant’s jaw
The inn erupts in a deafening cheer for the tiny warriors who took down three ants in the blink of an eye
In less than half an hour, the ants in Gateside Plaza have mostly been eradicated
There were several more close calls like with Pochi, but every time the situation is defused as the ants stop unnaturally in their tracks, then turn over and die, bleeding from their eyes and mouths
Probably Arisa’s Mind Magic I see her ns with her tiny hands
Anyway, I saw a few ants run inside Nadi-san’s All-Round Agency Nadi-san will probably be fine hiding in the baseo help her out
“Liza, I’ll leave this to you for a moment”
“Yes, sir!”
As if to prove her determined response, Liza takes doo ants with one strike of her black spear
I dance around an ant coency
Inside the All-Round Agency, I take out asure I’m hidden from view It isn’t a mace, but actually the handle of some sort of weapon
I could just kick the that’s better suited as a weapon indoors If I use thedown the monsters, and the inside of store will be shot full of holes!
I exterminate the ants that try to attack me with the iron bar
>>> Skill obtained: “One-Handed Blunt Weapon”
Speaking of which, I haven’t gotten a blunt weapon-related skill before
I don’t plan on using one as as my main weapon, so I will leave it alone to save skill points
Two ants are gathered at the wooden door leading to the basement, and I quickly dispose of them with the iron bar