CH 39

39 増援 Reinforcements

At my words, Liz started going through the file again.

I had listed ten shrines. Of those, seven were level 1 and the rest were level 2. However they were just barely certified at level 2 and were easy shrines that trainee hunters would go to. They were shrines at a level even a hunter with no talent could capture with two or three years experience.

Conversely at Liz’s level there were no merits in going there. In one way, they were rare shrines.

As Liz flicked through the file over and over again she was frowning.

The data on shrines was stored in the clans archives. Office staff sorted information from the Explorers Association as well as what was given by returning hunters. The data was very popular among the hunters of Footprints. The accuracy was also high.

Liz raised her face, and looked up at me. Was there some kind of point an excellent hunter would feel uneasy about?

“Hey hey, Cry-chan… With this, what’s going to happen?”

“Eh?”

I think it would be good if nothing happened.

“No, I’m not doubting you or anything it’s just… Look, you asked for me to do this right? I mean, if you told the others to go to the White Wolves Den, then that means this will be way worse won’t it?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

“Well… there’s not really any powerful monsters in these areas… and there’s barely any gimmicks. In the first place, with the Mana Material that a level 1 or 2 shrine collects it’ll be difficult to make Tee struggle… hmmm…”

“Yeah, that’s right?”

Liz tilts her head making a small hum. I think before you go jumping into danger it would be better if you fixed your character first.

Liz had a thoughtful look for a while, but then nodded as if she had convinced herself.

“…Well, it’s what Cry-chan has said isn’t it. I don’t think you would make a mistake in judgement…”

“Yeah… that’s right.”

My family are sweet.

Then, Tino returned. She seemed to have had a shower and a change of clothes, her hair was still damp. As she came in front if us she was cautious with her arms pressed tightly against her.

“I’ve come back just now. Onee-sama, Master.”

“You’re not tired? Are you ok?”

To my words Tino shot a fleeting glance at Liz as she answered.

“…Yes. There are no problems.”

“There’s no problems with just that much right? Since I made adjustments!”

Liz puffed up her chest with pride, while Tino had a blank look. But just before she straightened up in front of me, I definitely saw her legs wobble.

Words were just words. She’s always overdoing it isn’t she… Because Tino doesn’t give an honest objection, the brakes can’t be put on.

As a close friend of her teacher and as her senior I have to make her rest and not take no for an answer. Lets go to an easy shrine… after all, it’s better to just take Liz along. I’m worried she truly has no stopper…

“After all it looks like Tino is tired, so I’m just going to take Liz…”

As I started to speak, I noticed Tino’s eyes starting to tear up. They were like the eyes of an abandoned puppy.

No, I’m not saying I don’t want to choose you. It isn’t about choosing you or not.

“…That’s what I was thinking, but I guess Tino really should come along. Alright, I have some I picked out, so choose whichever one you like.”

“Y-Yes! …Picked…out?”

Tino began to look through the file. Liz was staring at her from the side. For some reason she had an arrogant smile.

Tino couldn’t concentrate under the pressure. Her body withered as if shrinking, and she stared fixedly at the file.

Come to think of it, I had asked her how it was being Liz’s disciple. She always answered that she was training, but perhaps she was usually doing this sort of thing.

Tino slowly looked at Liz.

“Um… Onee-sama?”

“What is it?”

“……..I-It’s nothing.”

Overwhelmed by that gaze, Tino started desperately looking through the file again. Similar to Liz from a short while ago, she looked through the data over and over again. No, it’s not like there’s a correct answer. I said it was fine to just choose the one you liked.

“Liz.”

I beckoned at Liz, and put both hands over my ears. While Liz gave a strange expression, she plugged her hearing the same way I did. Then I grabbed her by the shoulders and rotated her around, and moved her a few meters away from Tino.

Tino can’t choose at all like that, so you need to be keep quiet.

The girl disciple stared at her teacher with amazement. Now there were no obstacles.

“Now, you can take your time to choose the one you want. Liz won’t interfere.”

“…But, Master. I can’t…. make a judgement.”

Judgement… she was still searching for the correct choice huh… what correct choice? I want to drive some of that seriousness into Liz. …Well no, Liz was also serious when it came to a hunt.

I think life is more enjoyable when you live well. I threw out my chest and spoke confidently without any basis.

“It’s fine it’s fine. Whatever you choose is fine. We’ll manage somehow… probably?”

“!?”

For some reason a small shriek leaked from Tino’s lips. She took a step back as if drawing away. As if she was looking at a monster.

Not just limited to today, for some reason Tino’s gaze was often much harsher when she looked at me than when she looked at Liz. I said it would be fine, so why are you so anxious…?

In a delicate, shaking voice Tino spoke.

“Um…Master……I, I’m still just level 4 so-“

“Eh? Yeah, that’s right?”

“……”

“Yeah, that is right.”

I had a great feeling of deja vu. Is Tino not trying to escape because her teacher is so close? Tino’s hand holding the file was shaking. Her lips were closed together tightly. Her face had also gone pale, her beautiful looks were ruined.

Unfortunately I had no idea at all what she was afraid of. This time it wasn’t 『body retrieval』, this time it was the ten easiest shrines chosen by my cowardly self. I didn’t think there was any reason to be concerned…

While Liz’s back was turned and she was still holding over her ears, she started kicking the floor while she waited.

“After all maybe a rest is…”

“N-No… I’ll do it.”

So serious. You don’t have to do anything impossible. Tino looked up from the file, and looked at me with upturned eyes.

“…So, um…anything, is fine isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Anything.”

“…………even if, it’s not one of these, it’s ok?”

Eh…?

She says something beyond expectations. Tino’s expression was serious. Even though I specially chose easy shrines for you… Well but, I picked out ten shrines that were simple without thinking about Tino’s strong points, I didn’t choose them with any solid reasons. I’m not going to take any offence.

Suddenly the ground shook. A metallic crack echoed in the wide room and Tino jumped with a start.

Liz’s foot had pierced through the floor. The metal tiles were caved in and crushed. Do they have to be replaced again? Liz looked over her shoulder while still closing over her ears, and smiled cheerfully at Tino.

You could clearly hear what she was saying. This was a threat.

Tino looked like she was about to die at any moment. She shook her head in fleeting resistance. She was torn between two demands. I smiled at the poor girl to reassure her.

“Of course it’s fine. Actually I was waiting for you to say that.”

“…Eh?”

Tino’s expression froze. The file left her hand, and scattered on the ground.

§　§　§

The emergency whistle didn’t sound, only time passed. The sun had already half set, and the camp set up in front of the White Wolves Den was faintly dyed in vermillion.

Listening to the reports from the returning parties, Sven compared them with the map spread out on the ground.

From the start the White Wolves Den wasn’t a shrine with high difficulty. A map that was roughly complete was already available. The highly accurate map displayed the extent of the investigation. Because of the precautions the progress had been slow, yet already 70% of the countless paths had been verified.

The ends of Sven’s eyebrows came together. Before long it would be night. Lights had already been set up, but he would like to get as much cleared up before then as possible.

“Nothing abnormal, huh.”

“As usual, just the levels of the Phantoms seemed higher.”

At his companions words, Sven folded his arms. The parties that had embarked resolutely prepared for death had returned with no one missing for the time being. There were a few with varying degrees of injuries, but no one had died and those injuries had already been healed.

The Boss room which was the number one likely place for the slime to appear had also already been checked. It had been ordered to be inspected with particular care, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The remaining thirty percent that had not been investigated were dead ends. And even then, after two or three more hours the checks would be finished. The sense of crisis they had started out with was also easing away. Of course, something going wrong the moment you relaxed was an old trick of Infinite Variety, so they wouldn’t let their guard down but an air of tension couldn’t keep up for long.

“Has Cry’s divine eyes clouded over?”

“What do we do if nothing happens?”

“Then we’ll count ourselves lucky.”

Sven replied to his companions jokingly.

As the investigation progressed, some parties had begun to look at Iron Cross as if they were fools. Henrik would look back indignantly, but since the others were only going as far as grinning or laughing there was nothing he could say back.

There hadn’t been any denouncements yet, was it because they were waiting until after the remaining thirty percent was finished?

Like Iron Cross in command, the slime countermeasure party with Talia in it seemed uneasy and hadn’t entered the shrine even once. Sven felt a little sorry for them, but he didn’t plan on making an error in judgement.

“The investigation still hasn’t finished huh.”

“If you didn’t do so many excessive things it would’ve already ended don’t you think?”

To the ridiculing voices, Sven raised his head up. It was the brown haired hunter and his party that was taking every chance they had to make complaints. His ears were pierced and his hair was dyed with highlights. He looked like a thug, but he was a hunter that followed Sven’s command even while disagreeing with him.

His party members held the same opinion, and watched Sven and the others with eyes of hostility and caution. Sven cracked his neck, and sighed.

“I’ll hear out your complaints afterwards. You’re shift has just finished. Settle down.”

“…Tch. Stay here and pray as much as you can to that crazy master that hasn’t even been down here.”

Stifling his anger, he parted ways after getting a final line in.

But, Sven understood why he felt the need to say it. Without Sven and the others and their cautious tactics, the remaining thirty percent would have been finished off long ago. About this time they should have already been back at a tavern in the city celebrating. Of course, that was assuming nothing was going to happen in the last thirty percent.

Suddenly, the brown haired hunter separated from his party. Sven shouted out when he saw him headed for the bushes.

“Oi, don’t leave your post!”

“Shut up, I’m taking a piss! I’ll be right back. I’ve got my weapon on me.”

He clapped the back of his sword, and disappeared into the foliage. Sven sighed silently.

Well, the other party members were still around, and it wasn’t like he was headed into the White Wolves Den. It shouldn’t be dangerous around there. If he returned quickly it wouldn’t be a problem.

“That person’s going to die isn’t he”

“Oi oi, don’t say such a bad thing.”

To Henrik joking casually, Sven gave a bitter smile.

At first the newcomer was suspicious of Infinite Variety’s words, but as Sven’s position worsened he had strangely become more frank. From being stared at Henrik smiled awkwardly.

“I don’t know much about Cry-san, but I trust Sven and the rest of you.”

“…Then, will you pray to the master to answer that trust?”

Then, at that moment sounds could be heard form the forest. Sven stood up. Each party became alert, they had their weapons drawn and were turned towards the noise.

Entering was a large carriage. It didn’t lose in comparison to the ones the members of Footprints had used. Seeing the symbol on the curtains Sven’s eyes widened. As everyones line of sight converged, the door opened.

A giant of a man stepped out with slow movements like a bear.

Deep crimson armour, and a crimson helm held under an arm. His height was around the same as Sven’s, but the well built frame was larger in comparison to Sven’s slim body.

The tatooed face with old scars warily looked around the vicinity, and his gaze caught onto Sven. Sven blinked his eyes, seeing that familiar face.

“Branch chief Gark? What’s going on, looking like that?”

At his back two men with delicate features wearing the uniform of the Empire’s 『House of Remnant Investigations』 stepped down nervously. As Sven couldn’t keep up with the state of affairs, the source of it all the 『War Ogre』 snorted as he spoke.

“Ah, you kept me waiting. Sven. I’ve come to see this myself.”