Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
Episode 45: It looks like there are no monsters
◇
Early in the morning of the next day, we took off from the capital.
As usual, Aleria and Aina were clinging tightly to my arms.
But I feel that Aina is less scared than before.
I’m not sure why she’s clinging to me when she’s not scared, but I’ve decided that it’s nothing to worry about because there’s no harm in it.
Sui’s flight speed is quite fast, and we’ll soon reach the Elven Village, which is about 300 kilometers away.
“Master, it feels quiet and eerie.” [Sui]
“It’s true. But Isn’t it just that there aren’t many monsters around here to begin with?”
I feel that the monsters that were wandering around the capital are decreasing closer to the elf village.
“No, it’s strange. Of course, people live in places where there are few monsters, but it’s a little abnormal that there are so few.”
Since Aina, an elf, says so, it must be true.
However, it doesn’t mean that there are no monsters at all.
“Aren’t the monsters just asleep at this time of night?”\n
</ins>\n“Yuki, monsters are more active at night and at dawn. There should be more of them now than during the day.” [Aina]
“Oh, that’s right”
I don’t know why, but monsters are more active at night. I remember staying up all night for a boss that only appeared at night. Wait, that was in a game.
“Now that you mention it, the receptionist said that the number of monsters is increasing around the capital recently. Isn’t it possible that the monsters that were around here have moved on?”
“That’s not out of the question in our long history, but it’s an unusual phenomenon in itself.”
Sui says seriously.
“I see. However, if we don’t know what’s causing it, we’ll just have to go to.” [Yuki]
After all, nothing is known about this place.
It might be a problem that can be solved more easily by asking the elves in the village when we get there.
“Sui, land here.”
The elf village is still a few kilometers away.
Sui replied, a little surprised, as if she intended to fly to the end.
“Is it okay here?”
“Yes. The elves will be surprised if the legendary dragon suddenly descends, right? I think we should walk from here.”
“You’re a wise man after all, Yuki-danna. I’ll land in the wide area in front of the bridge.”
With that, Sui descends.\n</ins>\nWe landed with such a light touch that we barely felt the vibration on our backs.
“This is so much more comfortable than an airplane. I don’t know about others though, because the cheapskate company only took us on LCCs (Low Cost Carriers).” [Yuki]
“Um can you guide us from here Aina?” [Aleria]
“Yes. We’ll go over this bridge first, and then it’s just a straight shot. There’s no chance of getting lost.”
It was convenient to bring in Aina as a guide.
“Okay, I’ll walk in front while deploying the warding magic just in case. Follow me.”
After confirming that Sui, now the size of a small stuffed animal, is floating near my shoulder in position, I put my foot on the bridge.
I stepped on the bridge a few times with a thump.
“What are you doing?” (Aina)
“It’s possible it could break suddenly, right? I’m just checking to make sure.”
“You worry too much.”
“Yuki has quite a troublesome personality …”
When I checked, I couldn’t find any abnormality on the bridge.
I think we can get through just fine.
“I’ve never done anything without being careful. If I die in this world, I won’t be done with just a death-pena.”
“What is death-pena?”
“Oh, it’s a word from my hometown. Don’t worry about it.”
Death penalty – a penalty that reduces experience by a certain percentage when a character dies. It was a game where leveling up was a real challenge, and once you died, you lost three days’ worth of effort, so we had to be very careful.
In this way, we finished crossing the bridge safely.
However, I felt something strange.\n</ins>\n“Something in the air has changed, right?” [Yuki]
“The air is certainly more pleasant, isn’t it?”
“It’s because we elves live in harmony with nature.”
No, not that.
The air is delicious if you ask me, but there is a more fundamental-qualitative difference.
“I remember now …”
“What do you remember?” [Aleria]
Neither of them have noticed yet.
It’s well hidden, but I remember it well.
It’s an odour that works with my intuition rather than sense of smell.
“There are demons nearby. Quite a few of them too.”\n