Chapter 129 (2/2)

As expected, she really has great ears.

[These were probably “Nazoto”.] (T/N: ナゾート)

I called out to Seras who was walking towards us with Liz.

[Seras, help me with this.]

It seems she understood what I’m talking about.

Seras places her hand over her chest.

[Yes, please leave it to me.]

Incidentally, Liz doesn’t look particularly confused.

When the monster appeared, she was able to remain calm.

How should I say this—- her eyes look like she believes in us.

That’s how I see it.

I step into the pool of blood and lightly lift up the monster’s humanoid arm.

There’s a hemisphere buried in the palm of the monster.

It feels kind of squishy.

If I were to compare it with something, it would be that—- it’s just like a cat’s paws.

Well, this feels comparably worse than a cat’s paw but…

A monster’s hand.

I want to check the toughness of its skin.

Alright.

It looks like this would be a good spot.

I unsheathe the dagger from my waist.

[What are you doing, Touka?]

[I’m going to chip off this fleshy bead part.]

[What? This thing…? D- Don’t tell me— you can’t possibly be thinking of using that in our meal? It wouldn’t be easy for me to say that I want to eat something like that…]

Slightly doubtful, Eve pulled away.

[Heh— That’s not it, Eve.]

Seras wryly smiled.

[Is that really so, Touka-dono?]

[Yeah. I’m not really chipping this off for us to eat this.]

It seems Seras had already read about it in the book “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” that I’ve lent her.

The “Nazoto” that I mentioned earlier is the official name of the elephant slug.

[This guy is one of the ingredients I need.]

Yes…

[—for Pigimaru’s Enhancer.]

[Pii.]

Is it because his name was mentioned?

Pigimaru responded.

Eve looks like she finally understood.

[Mhmm, so that’s the reason. Umu? However—]

Eve tilted her head.

She looks really troubled.

[What’s the matter?]

[You said this won’t be eaten but… it would be used for Pigimaru’s Enhancer, that means—-]

[Puyuu?]

[—It would only be Pigimaru that would be ingesting this creepy flabby part into his body?]

[………Pigii!?]

Pigimaru suddenly looked scared.

However, it will be alright, Pigimaru.

When the enhancer is completed, the appearance shouldn’t be a problem anymore.

[……………]

Maybe.

▽

It was about an hour after I collected the usable material from the elephant slug and left that area.

Without any warnings, it suddenly happened.

[——————–]

What the…?

Fwuuusshhhh!

We stood with our backs behind each other and raised our vigilance towards the surroundings.

[Eve, do you feel anything around?]

[…No, I can’t find anything.]

[Seras.]

[N- No… I- I also don’t know what’s happening…]

However, there certainly is something there.

The presence of a monster.

Suddenly, the presence of that monster appeared.

Of course, this is quite different from Pigimaru’s presence.

Even Pigimaru looks confused.

Eve, Pigimaru, me, Seras.

None of the four of us have noticed that whatever that thing has gotten closer towards us.

There was no sign at all.

There was nothing but that sudden appearance of the presence of the monster we felt.

It’s close.

It would shortly arrive here.

What is that?

What the heck is going on…?

Furthermore, I couldn’t even feel its hostility.

Not a single killing intent leaked out of it.

Looking at it in another way, it’s really unsettling.

We still couldn’t get a hold of how much of a threat that monster is.

However, I could feel something strange about it.

It feels quite different from any of the monsters I’ve encountered before…

[Where did that come from?]

There is nothing even after looking around.

It’s just the never ending trees lined up around us.

Even if it were hiding, we would have been able to know its position if we felt its presence was close.

Seras drew her bow and pointed it to the air.

[—-It doesn’t feel like it’s somewhere in the air.]

And it’s also not below us.

I had assumed first that it would surprisely attack us from underground.

However, the presence didn’t come from under the ground.

No, rather than that, it would be—

[—coming from me, huh?]

———-Crackkkkk————-

I heard a sound.

The density of the presence suddenly increased in one go.

[Pigiii—!

At the same time as Pigimaru cried out, I hastily took off my backpack.

It appears like Pigimaru also felt something from “me”.

[It came from here, huh…?]

Eve is prepared with her sword in hand.

[It’s in your backpack, you say…]

Anxious, Liz clung on to Eve.

Seras also looked like she’s sweating bullets as she seems to be preparing for something that’s about to appear.

The preparation to use her Regalia of the Spirits.

[——Ah.]

I suddenly remembered one thing.

[Could it be—-]

——-Crackkkk——–

[……….So, it’s this.]

I gently put down “that thing” on the ground.

Taking a step back, I called out to everyone.

[Don’t let your guard down.]

It’s obvious why I felt the presence from me.

It’s because…

The source of the presence came from “that thing” inside my backpack.

Seras looks towards me.

[Touka-dono, that must be…]

[Yeah.]

That black egg I obtained from Mills Ruins.

Yeah, that is—

[—-about to hatch.]

———-Craaackkkkk————