Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 1.1

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE BATTLE 

We’ve been in the elf village for three days now. 

On the first day, we were so tired from the journey that we went to sleep as soon as we were given rooms. 

And on the second day, we were reunited with the reincarnations who live in the elf village. 

So what are we going to do on day three? 

I would’ve liked to spend more time bonding with my fellow reincarnations like the day before, but with Hugo’s imperial army closing in fast, I don’t think this is the time for that. 

We could ask them for information, but since the elves have basically forced all the reincarnations to live here isolated from the outside world, I doubt they would know anything that could help in this situation. 

There’s a lot I want to ask them about the elves, their thoughts on Ms. Oka, and so on. 

But that can wait until after we’ve done something about the closing army. 

For now, I have to focus on the battle ahead. 

Charging into battle alongside our teacher and the elves when I’m not entirely sure if I can trust them isn’t the most comforting feeling. 

But surely the elves won’t stab us in the back. 

I don’t think they will, at least. 

The scary thing is, thinking back on the words and behavior of Potimas and the elves who’ve been assigned to us as stewards, I can’t say it’s impossible. 

Two stewards have been assigned to everyone in our visiting party, and they generally follow us everywhere. 

Despite their job title, they have yet to do a single thing to help us. 

It’s obvious they’re here to keep watch on us under the superficial guise of serving as our stewards. 

And their attitudes have clearly indicated they have no interest in being friendly with us. 

When we first met and I asked their names, their terse response consisted of only, “You don’t need to know.” 

On top of that, they didn’t make any effort to learn our names, either. 

Their total indifference toward us was extremely clear. 

I’ve tried to talk to them anyway in the hopes of getting through somehow, but if I don’t specifically need anything, they simply ignore me. 

When ignoring my attempts at conversation doesn’t seem to get their point across, they’ll go as far as to say, “Please do not speak to us unless it is a matter of importance.” 

Do they really have no intention of working together at all? 

I’m starting to think that even though he kept our conversation as short as possible, that was Potimas’s idea of being friendly after all. 

But we haven’t seen him since the day we arrived, likely because he’s busy preparing for the encroaching battle. 

Ms. Oka is going to join him today, too, so we might not meet either of them for a while. 

After basically being all but tossed aside by our hosts, it’s up to me to figure out what to do today. 

“Shun, maybe we should also prepare for battle by going to see this barrier thing? If a fight breaks out, the area beyond the barrier will probably be the battlefield,” Hyrince suggests. 

Since I couldn’t think of anything useful to do, it’s the perfect suggestion. 

Out of all of us, there’s no doubt Hyrince has seen the most battles. 

His stats are lower than mine, but stats don’t measure the strength that comes from having experience. 

It never would have occurred to me to scout out a potential battlefield in advance. 

Which makes me realize all over again how inexperienced I really am. 

Soon after, we all head toward the outer perimeter of the elf village to examine the barrier. 

On the way, we meet with some unexpected faces. 

“Yo.” 

“Good morning.” 

As we leave the house we’ve been assigned, we run into two of the reincarnations we’d been reunited with yesterday: Tagawa and Kushitani. 

“We’re the only reincarnations here who can fight, so they said we should start working with you guys.” 

Tagawa points at the elves standing like guards behind them. 

It feels like we’re carrying out a prisoner exchange. 

Tagawa and Kushitani seem to feel the same way, judging by their expressions. 

“Hello. Shun and the others explained the situation to me. The name’s Hyrince. Nice to meet you.” 

Trying to shake off the dark mood hanging over the group, Hyrince holds out his hand and introduces himself. 

“The pleasure’s all mine. I’m Kunihiko Tagawa. It’s an honor to meet a famous member of the hero’s party, sir.” Tagawa shakes Hyrince’s hand. 

“Kunihiko? Not the same Kunihiko whose name has been spreading among adventurers everywhere?” 

“It’s not exactly a common name here, so yes, I believe so.” 

Tagawa grins playfully at the surprised Hyrince. 

I guess he must actually be pretty famous. 

“Does that make her Asaka, then?” 

“The very same. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Kushitani gives a little bow. 

I guess if Tagawa is famous, his partner, Asaka, would be, too. 

Before they came to the elf village, Tagawa and Kushitani traveled around as adventurers. 

I didn’t have time to ask more about it yesterday, but now I’m getting the impression they got up to more than I first suspected. 

“Well, it’s heartening to know that a pair said to be on the fast track to rank S will be on our side.” 

Hyrince’s tone is serious. He isn’t just flattering them. 

Sounds like Tagawa and Kushitani are bona fide adventurers. 

I feel a bit immature in comparison. 

And I admit some jealousy flared up when Hyrince acknowledged their strength. 

Compared to them, I haven’t made a name for myself in the world at all. 

“Shall we continue our conversation on the way?” 

At Katia’s urging, we begin walking under the guidance of the elves. 

There are two elves for each one of us, numbering fourteen in total. 

Watching them walk in totally silent lines is a little unnerving. 

“What kind of work did you two do?” 

It would be uncomfortable to walk all the way there without talking, so I strike up a conversation with Tagawa. 

“Heh-heh. You wanna know all about Asaka’s and my brave deeds, do you?” 

As soon as he replies, I immediately regret my decision. 

It does seem like he also wants to relieve the awkward tension of the situation, so maybe he’s playing it up on purpose, but I suspect that he’s also enjoying a chance to brag. 

“Actually, forget I said anything.” 

“C’mon, don’t be like that. First of all, take a look at this. What do you think?” 

Tagawa produces a sword from his belt. 

“A katana!” 

“A pseudo-katana anyway. I had it made to look like one,” Tagawa says proudly. 

Katanas don’t exist in this world. 

So even if Tagawa’s is just an imitation, that still makes it the only one in the world. 

And on top of that, this katana is a magic sword, too. 

If parts of a powerful monster are used as ingredients to craft a weapon, it’ll sometimes be imbued with a unique effect. 

Weapons with such effects are called magic swords. 

“A katana that’s also a magic sword? Wow. That’s awesome.” 

That is all I can manage to say. 

I mean, who doesn’t want a powerful magic weapon? 

“Right? This baby was made from the claw of a thunder dragon that Asaka and I brought down, so it’s got thunder magic inside. And Asaka’s staff there was made from the bone of a wind dragon that we beat another time. That one can make Wind Magic stronger.” 

Wow, so you can make equipment this good if you defeat a dragon? 

And on closer inspection, the pair’s armor looks like it was made from other dragon parts, too. 

“Just to be clear, we didn’t defeat them all by ourselves, okay? All we did was join forces with a larger group of adventurers.” 

I was very impressed with Tagawa’s boasting, until Kushitani added a few words in a cold voice to knock him down a peg. 

She always seemed serious and coolheaded, which clearly hasn’t changed in this world. 

Back then, she was close with the similarly minded class representative, Kudo, but tended to butt heads with Fei. 

Even now, it seems like she’s trying to keep her distance from Fei, whose aversion to serious people hasn’t changed, either. 

“Modesty is a virtue, but judging by all the materials you acquired, surely you played a large role in the battle, no? I’m looking forward to seeing that dragon-slaying strength for myself.” 

With a graceful smile, Katia pats Tagawa’s shoulder. 

Tagawa, however, looks a bit perturbed. 

“Listen. No offense, but are you really Ooshima? ’Cause you kinda act and talk like a totally different person…” 

Deflecting the suspicion thrown on his character, Tagawa voices some doubts of his own. 

I can see why, though. Fei and I have gotten used to it by now, but for people who knew her as a man in our previous lives, hearing Katia’s ladylike speech can definitely have a jarring effect. 

That would explain why Tagawa’s been acting strange around her, but he clearly couldn’t hold back any longer. 

Still, it’s a bit much to say that she’s like a totally different person. 

Katia hasn’t changed a bit. 

“Well, of course I do. I was reborn as a woman, and the daughter of a noble family no less. How could I not change, growing up under such circumstances?” 

However, Katia’s reply directly refutes my personal belief that she hasn’t changed as a person. 

I turn to her in surprise, and our eyes meet. 

Katia smiles at me meaningfully. Seeing this, Tagawa and Kushitani exchange glances with expressions I can’t quite read. 

“This is the barrier.” 

The elves stop in front of what looks like a thin, transparent film. 

It stretches to the left and right as far as I can see and upward, too. 

If I stare up long enough, I can see the curve of a faint dome covering us. 

It’s so transparent that I didn’t realize it was there until now, but the barrier has been above us all along. 

“Does this extend underground, too?” Tagawa asks. 

“Yes, in the same way as it does in the sky,” one of the elves responds. 

Which means no one can invade the village by tunneling underneath. 

“Is it all right if I touch it?” 

“Go ahead.” 

It doesn’t appear to be the type of barrier that electrocutes you or anything, so I cautiously reach out and touch it. 

The surface feels very strange, sort of like touching glass that doesn’t have a temperature. 

Contrary to its thin appearance, it actually feels quite hard. 

“Mind if I test how sturdy it is?” 

The elf nods at Tagawa’s request. 

As I watch on curiously, Tagawa pulls out his katana, and the blade sparks with purple lightning. 

A crackling sound fills the air, and powerful energy converges on his sword. 

A little alarmed, I warn everyone to step away from Tagawa. 

Once we’re at a safe distance, Tagawa swings his katana. 

The lightning built up on the blade flies off and smashes into the barrier. 

A searing flash of light blazes through the area with a loud boom, and the heated air whips up into a gale. 

I guess I should have expected as much from a magic sword made of dragon parts and the swordsman who helped slay the dragon. 

Even simply watching from close by, I can tell just how powerful Tagawa is. 

And yet… 

“Well, damn.” 

Tagawa whistles in admiration. 

His all-out attack didn’t even scratch the barrier. 

“There’s no way they can break this, right? It’s way too tough,” he remarks, sheathing his katana. 

He must have felt as soon as he attacked that it was impregnable. 

“Do you want to try, too, Fei?” 

“Nah, I can’t be bothered. If that little move didn’t work, I’m not gonna be able to break it, either.” 

Fei has the highest offensive power of any of us, and she’s decided that it’s unbreakable without even trying. 

In a way, that only confirms how amazing this barrier is. 

Tagawa nods. “No way Natsume can break through that—” 

“But they don’t need to break it, do they?” Katia interrupts unexpectedly. 

“What d’you mean?” 

“It’s simple. They just need to either deactivate the barrier from inside or perhaps enter the same way we did.” 

My eyes widen at Katia’s calm tone. 

She’s right. If they could do that, they wouldn’t need to break anything. 

But in order to deactivate it from the inside or use a teleport point to enter, they would need a guide on the inside. 

Obviously, you can’t deactivate the barrier unless you’re inside it. 

And you can’t use a teleport point like the one we used to get in without the help of someone who knows where it is. 

The location of the teleport point is so top secret that Ms. Oka made us swear not to tell anyone. 

The elves must be the only ones who know where it is. 

“Are you implying there could be a traitor among us?” one of the elves asks Katia sharply. 

The other elves are scowling, too. They don’t seem too happy about the implication. 

“It’s strictly hypothetical. As I’m sure you know, Hugo has the ability to brainwash others. Can you be absolutely certain that not a single one of you has been brainwashed?” 

“Impossible. We would never succumb to such a thing.” 

The elf’s response is entirely dismissive. 

If you ask me, though, they’re underestimating Hugo’s power. 

It’s not the kind of thing you can resist simply because your stats are high. 

Since Katia has been brainwashed herself once, she knows all too well how terrifying that power is. 

I can’t help but be irritated by the way the elves are sneering at her in spite of that. 

“I see,” Katia replies evenly. “Nonetheless, I would propose temporarily shutting down the teleport points. Even if no one is brainwashed, it’s not impossible that somebody could leak one of their locations.” 

She’s right. No matter how careful the elves might be, they can’t guarantee that the information hasn’t slipped out. 

Between the far-reaching influence of the empire and the widespread Word of God religion, the enemy is bound to have an impeccable intelligence force. 

They might have monitored the movement of elves outside the village to uncover the location of a teleport point. 

“No need.” 

The curt response shocks us all. 

“No matter what tricks they employ, no mere humans could ever outsmart us.” 

The elf’s tone couldn’t have been more arrogant. 

And he’s making it clear that he looks down on us, too, not just the imperial army. 

The tension gripping us is even worse than before. 

Fei seems to be the angriest of all. 

The way she’s crossing her arms and glaring at the elves reminds me of what she was like right before she would take out her anger on Wakaba back in our old world. 

At this rate, she might actually thrash a bunch of them. 

Likely sensing this as well, Hyrince puts a hand on Fei’s shoulder and silently shakes his head. 

Fei reluctantly reins herself in. 

I breathe a sigh of relief. Thank goodness we have someone as mature as Hyrince around. 

My eyes also shift toward Anna, who’s been hanging her head in silence this entire time. 

As a half elf who’s been persecuted by elves in the past, she’s probably having a hard time with this spat. 

“At any rate, now we know the barrier can’t be broken. Let’s go back and discuss how the imperial army might make its move.” 

Hyrince addresses this to the whole group. 

Everyone agrees, and we head back the way we came. 

“Are these guys really worth defending?” 

I pretend not to hear Fei’s muttering along the way. 

Ms. Oka’s mysterious actions and the attitude of these elves… 

If I think about all that for too long, I’ll be tempted to agree with her grumbles.