Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: 3

5-3 . Black Mist

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"Yiss~ 10 straight victories!"

"It's only Arisa who wins, unfair~ Pochi also wants to win~ . "

"Tama too~"

I can hear the little girl's voices from behind . The members beside me have been playing the learning cards for about 2 hours .

Since I couldn't really look away, I don't know the details but it seems that Arisa has continue to childishly won .

"Arisa, here's the commemoration for 10 successive victories . "

"What is it? A picture book?"

"If you could win that many, then you should be able to read it right?"

"Nnn~ I could probably do . "

"Then read it for Pochi and Tama . If they're only studying the learning cards, they would get bored before they remember the letters . "

"Aye aye . "

At first Arisa was reluctant with the picture book I held out, but she finally consented and spread the book open on the floor .

Still, it's amazing that she could learn it in two days .

Pochi and Tama who were complaining since a while ago, quietly sat and perked their ears when the story began .

With nothing but Arisa reading the picture book as a BGM, the wagon continues advancing .

I ask for a change of coachman since I want to search the location for our campsite today on the map .

I wanted to ask Liza at first, but since she's listening to Arisa's story with a serious face, I ask Lulu instead .

"Please handle the wagon for a bit . "

"Yes, master . "

I move to the edge of the coachman stand to make space for Lulu . I pass the reins, and want to concentrate on the map but from Lulu's point of view, I'd look like a master who sits beside her in silent . . . I don't want that .

I migrate to the luggage rack behind and lean my back on the stand .

I immediately look at the map to select the camping ground . Actually, I've thought of a several candidates before we started the journey, but unfortunately the distance we have traveled is shorter than I thought so they're unusable .

There are about 4 hours more before the nightfall .

If we run on this hill for about 3 hours then we'll get closer to the valley between the east and west mountains . According to the book that I've bought from the bookstore back then, [Journey to the Royal Capila], the valley up ahead is a difficult place so I want to make a camp before it .

From what I've seen on the map, there are two locations that could be used for it . The place up ahead has a pond nearby, should I go there?

Something like water spirits or aquatic monsters would usually appear in fantasy setting, but according to the map there are only big frogs there so it should be okay . Big frogs are different from giant frogs from the labyrinth; they're not monsters but just common amphibians .

I wonder where do you draw the line between monsters and normal creatures?

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"Master . "

I got called out by Lulu who rarely does it .

Since her voice sounds a bit bewildered, I move the map to the edge of my view .

"What's wrong Lulu?"

"U, um, please look at that . "

I put my face beside Lulu and look at the place she's pointing at, black mist is moving from one side of the southeast mountain .

Still, it's quite far . She did well to see them .

"Just a bit ago, birds were flying out from the side of that mountain so I was curious . Then, that black mist appeared . "

"I wonder what is that?"

That place is beyond the scope of the map . I look hard there .

The AR indicate that it's [Unidentified Flying Insect Monsters] . The details don't appear because this AR is linked with the map .

Appraisal also doesn't work when I try to use it, it's probably outside of its effective range .

"What what? Is there something~?"

"Arisa, continue~?"

"Something nodesu?"

Arisa hangs over me, popping half of her body outside onto the coachman stand . Furthermore, Tama gets on top of Arisa .

I can only imagine this from the presence, but it seems that Pochi also got on them but she fell .

"There's black mist-looking thing over there . "

"What's that?"

"It's black, so, Bats?"

Pochi is pressing forwards with her nose first on the narrow space between me and the wagon's canopy . I'd like to tell her that she's going in the reverse direction .

Our eyes meet for a while, then I open some space in front of me and fix Pochi's direction .

"Black lumpy is moving nodesu . "

Oh, amazing . She could look at these distances?

If they're flying-type monsters then they could probably get here in 10 minutes .

In a moment, I decided that I'm going to move the wagon into hiding and go outside to see the situation .

"Lulu, call me if we get close to that forest you can see from here . "

"Y, yes . "

I put Arisa who was riding on my head beside Lulu .

"Arisa, observe the black mist's movement beside Lulu . Since that black mist might be monsters, get ready for battles . "

Liza reacts to the word, 'monsters' .

"Pochi, Tama, get ready for battle . "

"Aye aye sir~ . "

"Roger~ nanodesu . "

Who taught them those words . Nah, I don't even need to hear it, there's only one truth like always .

Even though I said to get ready to battle, it's only for Liza to hold the spear and for Pochi and Tama to arm the swords . Tama passes pebbles for stone-throwing from the bag to Pochi .

I thought that her bag looks heavy, so there were those things inside huh .

Liza puts the stones she receives from the two on a small bag tied to her waist .

I take out a crossbow from the box and prepare it . Although I'm just preparing the bowstring . I haven't set the bolts, since it's dangerous .

After I confirmed that Liza and the girls' preparation is complete, I take out 3 additional crossbows and 200 bolts .

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"They're coming, a part of that black mist is moving . "

It's still not in the map range . When I look at the mountain over Arisa's head, a part of the black mist on the foot of the mountain is certainly moving .

I change place with Lulu to be the coachman and make Arisa and her go back inside the wagon .

After Liza and the girls said that their preparation is complete, I accelerate the wagon .

Arisa asks me in low voice .

"Master, couldn't you see their level with Menu or something?"

"They're out of range . If I could get as close as 10 Km then I would know . "

"I wish permission to use magics if the monsters get close . "

I give permissions to use magics beside the uniques or the ones she used on the flea market .

"I want to use monster avoiding space (Dodge Field) too . I'd also like to have permission to use Sleep Wave, Sleep Field, and fatigue space <<Ennui Field>> . "

I give permission after hearing the description of each magics .

"If the enemies are many, then make them sleep with the sleep magic . "

"It's ineffective when the opponents are agitated . "

Arisa said while smiling wryly . Then isn't there no meaning for that in battle?

"That's why I want to combo it with <<Ennui Field>> . "

"Although you don't use it often, you sure have the knack for it . "

"Yep~ But unfortunately, since it doesn't distinguish between friend or foe, it's only for the last resort . "

"Don't you have means for direct attack?"

"I could use mind shock bullet (Psycho Ball) and mind shockwave (Shockwave), but at most it could only stun the opponents . "

"If you cooperate with Liza, then those two attacks could be quite usable . "

I give permissions to use the two magics .

I wonder what those crowds of monsters are chasing?

Monsters emerge from the edge of the map .

"Hexapedal boar (Dash Boar)?"

Rat-men are on the same position as them . The luminous points on the map are moving together . It seems that they're cavalry beasts . Their speed is near 50 Km/H . There are 5 of them .

"What are those?"

"The beasts that the rat-men ride to run away from that black mist . "

The dash boars are level 5-6, the rat-men who ride them are level 3-7 .

Their positions are bad, if we leave it as it is then they'll come from behind us .

The black mist enters the map range a few minutes late from the cavalries .

"The monsters coming from behind are called Flying Ant, they're only level 2-4 but they're troublesome because of their poison and acid attacks . "

"Geh, are the poison and the acid lethal?"

"It seems that the acid burns . The poison is the paralyzing type, so it'd be fine if you're only bitten by one . "

That said, if we get carelessly paralyzed, we'd be surrounded to death .

There are already 50 flying ants which have appeared chasing the rat-men .

When our talk is over, the rat cavalries break through the forest 200 meters away from us and cross the highway, missing the hill .

Alright, seems that they won't come here . While apologizing to the horses in my mind, I steel my heart and whip them . Me, Liza and the girls could deal with them, but it'd be dangerous for Lulu and the horses if they catch up .

I can hear loud striking sounds from the other side of the forest . There are 89 in total which chase the rat cavalries .

Let's just let them go past .

My optimistic thought ends when Arisa reports from behind .

"One of them is coming here . "