Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: 20

10-20 . New Hunting Ground

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When everyone was sleeping in the labyrinth villa, I went back to the mansion alone to check the situation, but there wasn't anything of note in particular . The children also seem to be healing nicely . I give nutrient supplements for  to Ms . Miteruna .

Since Ms . Miteruna asked about greeting cards, I've decided to send it to not only for people in this city, but also for Nina-san in Muno barondom . I wanted to send the greeting cards to my acquaintances in the duchy capital and Bollhart too, but since there were too many people, I'll write to them when I have some free time .

I tell her that I'm going again until tomorrow morning, and head back to the labyrinth .

She asked me about my destination, but I ambiguously said that it was some minor business . During the tea parties in duchy capital, I heard that young nobles usually used such excuse when they were visiting women, so I imitated it .

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"New hunting ground?"

"Yeah, if we keep this up, the enemies in this area would likely die out tomorrow . Judging from the map, area 74 or area 109 look good . Area 74 is filled with amphibians and reptiles, area 109 is with insects . "

"am-phi-bians?"

"What kind of monsters are they nanodesu?"

"Amphibians are like frogs . Reptiles are like snakes or lizards I guess . "

There are cockatrices in area 69 that adjoins area 109 . These monsters have high levels, there's even one at level 50 . There are also high level basilisks in area 77 which neighbors area 74, it seems . Looking at the courses, the reason why there are a lot of monsters in area 74 and 109 is probably because the cockatrices and the basilisk are repulsing the explorers, so they can't go further in .

"There are many insects type monsters which have hard shells, so defeating them will take some time . I think area 74 with the amphibians and reptiles monsters is better here . "

Liza suggests so with stiff face, but I didn't miss the glint in her eyes when she heard about the frogs . Pochi and Tama look happy about it, and the other members don't seem to object . If I'm not mistaken, a party called [Fang of Conflagration] was going to subjugate the cockatrices, so we can also avoid them if we go to area 74 .

Let's pick a course where we won't encounter the explorers along the way as much as possible . If we're about to bump with one, I can just carry Nana and fly to the ceiling with Sky Drive, and we probably won't get find out .

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"The corner over there~"

"Monsters are hiding nodesu . "

"Wait a minute, I'll check the surrounding with space grasp magic--there are three Maze Centipedes . One of them is on the ceiling so be careful . "

"I'll illuminate the ceiling with my light drop, so Mia-chan, fell it with your bow okay . "

"Nn . "

"Nana, provoke it . "

"You centipedes! Don't think you're great just because you have a lot of legs, so I declare!"

I don't think centipedes have that in their minds .

One of the two centipedes that appear from the shadow due to Nana's provocation gets dropped to the ground by Liza's spear . Right after that, Pochi cuts off the centipede's head with her short magic sword .

Lulu illuminates the centipede that's on the ceiling with her light drop . An arrow that's shot by Mia with her small bow pierces the gap between the centipede's crust . Lulu is holding a magic gun on the other hand that's not holding the light drop, she skilfully shoots the roots of the centipede's legs . Lulu's marksmanships has become quite good .

Nana blocks the charging centipede with her great shield . The centipede vigorously climbed the great shield that it had rammed into and tried to attack, but Nana penetrates its head with her large sword from below . Furthermore Nana recites the Command Word [Tear] to activate the magic sword's special function, rupturing the centipede's head .

This [Tear] is a new feature that I've just experimented . I've put on thin membrane of force on the surface of the sword which will snap out with the command word . Since the eruption itself doesn't contain much power, I created the membrane to be in fine threads to increase its killing power, making it tear through the enemy's body from inside . Compared to [Shell], there seems to be a few situations where this can be used since if the enemy is soft, you'd be better off slashing with the sword normally .

The only one who didn't fight the centipedes, Tama, was dealing with the Goblin Assassin that was sneaking from behind . This monster is an assassin-type demi goblin that sneaks up from the shadow in narrow passages, they will launch surprise attacks from behind if you're careless . Even though their levels are only around 3-5, it seems 30% of explorers' deaths annually are caused by these Goblin Assassins .

"I guess it's around White 7 Vermilion 3?　There's rarely any Red-grade magic cores like in area 17 huh . "

Arisa is complaining while lighting the centipede cores with a light drop . From all the experience so far, it seems that the older the monster, the deeper the color of the magic core tends to become . And it seems that the higher the level, the bigger its magic core becomes .

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Along the way, in a certain hall of area 1-2-21, we happened to pass by the party of miss Gina and miss Heliona that were fighting a Soldier Mantis . Soldier Mantises are weak monsters that are around level 13-18 .

Although I've said hall, there are variations in elevation, and curtain-shaped screens are also hanging from the ceiling, so the field of view is bad . These curtain-shaped screens which I've seen here and there in the halls and corridors seem to be wreckages of spiderwebs that have accumulated dust .

The person who seems to be the party leader over there seems to have noticed us too, but it seems the leader doesn't intend to have a contact with us unless we get closer .

Those girls are in a party of 10 people, four in full-body metal armors, two in partial metal armors, and the other four are in leather armors .

Miss Gina is using a long spear instead of the flail from before, and she's attacking a monster from behind a heavy soldier who seems to be Miss Heliona . It seems she's injured as there's a bandage wrapped on one of her arm .

There's a single magician who sometimes shoots out firebolts from the furthermost behind . I feel that the firebolts often hit the magician's friends instead of the monsters, but it must be my imagination . The jeers must also be my imagination .

"Ugeh, that fire magician is terrible . The firebolt was aimed at the back of the vanguard shield-user . "

"Affirmative . That magician is a dangerous pyromaniac, so I assert . "

They should be able to win since there's only one opponent, but it'll be dangerous if there are many .

We continue without calling out to them, and join the beastkin girls who have gone ahead to the exit .

"Easy victory~?" "Nanodesu!"

"Master, we've collected the magic cores . "

"Thank you . Then, let's go . "

I receive the three Soldier Mantises' magic cores from Liza . I had asked the three to go ahead and exterminate a small group of Soldier Mantises that were coming from the passage . Since Pochi has a shallow cut on her cheek, I heal her with [Aqua Heal] .

I put the remains of the Soldier Mantises besides the magic cores in the same folder in my Storage since they may be useful for something . I can also put it in Arisa's space magic [Garage], but since it consumes large amount of magic power, we don't use it for now .

There are a lot of Mantis-type and Grasshopper-type monsters in this area 21 . It seems they can be sold handsomely, largish parties are encamping in each halls of this area .

Looking at them when we passed by, every party didn't seem like they were fighting all-out, they always had reserves who weren't fighting .

I thought that they were taking safety margin, but I realized that they were taking precautions against something other than monsters after they warned me . It's probably not only against the lost thieves, but also explorers who should have been their companions . There might explorer parties with a bad manner who snatch the monster that the other have defeated after much hardship from the side .

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We discovered a body that's getting eaten by monsters in the main corridor that connects to the area where miss Gina and the others were just now .

I shoot [Short Stun] to tear the monsters off the bodies, and Arisa's firebolts burn down the Maze Cockroaches . Apparently, it's an easily burnable monster .

The body that were getting eaten by the cockroach monsters is of one of the person who's picking a quarrel with us in the West Guild, one of the friends of the man called Besso . I put the hair of the deceased and the bronze plates that Liza has collected into the Storage .

"Ugeh, maybe he got attacked from behind when he was running . "

"Affirmative . I recommend children not to see this . "

There's a crossroad ahead of this corridor, the left has Besso and one of his friend, and the right is a hall with a large-scale party of 20 people . The party are fighting monsters twice their number . Among them, there are two people from [Beautiful Wings], and the party of three beastkins from the ant-train incident .

Besso and his friend seem to be escaping without any monster pursuing them . Those two only have around 20% healths left, but since their life natures seem to be dirty, they will probably survive .

Rather than that, I'm more interested with the composition of the 20-people party . The five core members are around levels 15-18, but the other 15 are levels 5-10, they're somewhat unreliable to fight monsters in this area . Bluntly speaking, it's absurd . Even the cockroach that Arisa had effortlessly defeated just now was at level 12 .

I don't want to leave acquaintances to their deaths, and our members can probably win unhurt, so I guess I'll intrude upon it .

I also thought about cleaning it up from a distant, but I decided to let everyone fight this time .

I'm not thinking that we should stop being inconspicuous, but we've already been conspicuous enough after getting the Red Iron promotion from the guildmaster . Showing everyone's abilities in front of other explorers, so that the surrounding recognize it sooner will probably decrease troubles .

Fortunately, since my true strength won't spread, people will think that I'm an incompetent noble who's surrounded by strong retainers, and I will become the target of threats or kidnapping instead . It might be nice to purposely let myself get kidnapped, and have Pochi and Tama save me afterward .

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"Satou, a fork . "

"Yeah, there are 20 explorers who are fighting cockroach monsters like before to the right of the crossroad . "

"Then, we should go straight?"

I usually let Liza or Arisa make a judgment from Mia's report, but I decide on the plan this time since people's life are hanging here .

"No, my acquaintances are there, and they will be annihilated if they're left alone so let's save them . "

"Is it alright?"

Arisa asked since it wasn't like the usual me, so I told my thinking just now to everyone . Mysteriously, not just Arisa, every member is also enthusiastic to be in the situation where they save me from kidnapping .

Leaving that aside, since everyone has agreed, we proceed to the right on the crossroad .

"And, who are those acquaintances?"

"It's the female party and the beastkins from the ant-train incident back then . "

"Wait you, I'm fine with helping them, but don't raise some strange flag okay . "

How rude .

"I remember . Those vulgar people who were hugging master right . "

I wonder what, Lulu looks somewhat dark .

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In the hall that we had arrived at, maybe the leader-shi was competent, there was no casualty despite the party being clearly in disadvantage .

They have already been cornered in one part of the hall though .

They're in perilous situation enough that if even one party member dies, they will be annihilated .

Now then, I'm sorry that it looks like we're waiting for our turn to show up, but let's let the cavalry out .