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Chapter 319 Guidepost ②
Part 1
Deep in the forest. Adler receives a jewel with a mysterious radiance from Uno, who had returned from her successful mission, lifts it up to eye level, examines it, and lets out a sigh of admiration.
A mysterious jewel tied to a string――The guide *kurukuru* spins around and points in one direction, and stops.
“Well done, Uno. So this is the guide that 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 was talking about……” (Adler)
“Tha-That’s impossibleee, for something like this to happen. No matter how you look at it, it is impossible that 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 didn’t notice that a woman suddenly appeared……” (Uno)
Adler shrugs it off as Uno protests with a pale expression on her face.
In order to achieve their goal, they need something that seems to be a key. They can understand that.
She has never heard of it, but if there really is a place where ancient beasts and divine beasts roam, it’s in line with their goal.
They were able to follow 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 because they were constantly monitoring their movement, but it would be meaningless if the Monsters were taken first.
But then again, there’s no way such a stupid strategy would work.
Adler licks her lips and says in a chiding voice.
“But it did work out, didn’t it. Surprisingly people that can make divine strategy are vulnerable to stupid tricks.” (Adler)
“Y-You can say that because you weren’t the one to do iiiiit!” (Uno)
“Uno, if it’s you, you can escape even if you get caught. Your Holy Spirit’s dimensional dive is the perfect power for escaping.” (Adler)
“Although it means nothing if you get killed before diving in it. That guy ain’t’ no ordinary Hunter, he’s a Level 8 y’know.” (Quint)
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Quint, who is sitting cross-legged nearby, snores. Seeing that, Uno violently takes off her hood, frowns, and openly glares at him.
A Level 8 Hunter.
Uno is also training herself as a Monster Master, but she is not a combatant. However, Hunters are required to have a certain level of combat ability in order to be certified as High-Level.
It’s frustrating, but just like what Quint said, she didn’t think she could win without combat-oriented Monsters. And even with Monsters, it would be difficult for Uno to win by herself.
The enemy is also a “Guide (Doushu)” like them, but he is of a different caliber. He straddled a treasure chest Monster they have never seen before and showed no sign of trying to dominate the hordes of Monsters that appeared in the forest.
Quantity is strength for a “Guide (Doushu)”, if one of them had been in his place, they would have gratefully incorporated the forest Monsters into their armies.
No, besides that――That man had too many mysteries.
Adler frowns and looks sullenly at Uno.
“However…… As expected you couldn’t get the compass. I wanted that one too.” (Adler)
“There’s no way I can take iiit! Just getting what I’ve got is a miracleee! In the first place, if it calls for bad luck, I’m sure if we use it, it’ll show us a path where Monsters won’t come ooout!” (Uno)
Countless mysterious items that can come out of that treasure chest. The leeway he showed by not participating in the battle against a terrifying number of Monsters.
He even took out a chain with one hundred and sixty handcuffs on it.
Is he trying to handcuff Star-Eater? That’s absurd. Even if it’s called a centipede, it doesn’t mean that it has 100 legs and at its size, the handcuffs don’t fit.
But he didn’t seem to be joking around. He was creepy in a different way from Adler, who always stood fearless and sent Uno and the others left and right.
Uno and the others have yet to get serious. It’s been a long time since they have been this anxious before a battle, even though they should have the advantage in numbers here.
“In the first place, according to what Adler-sama saw, the enemy was aware that he was being watched by the 『Mirror of Reality』…… I still can’t believe that it went so smoothly.” (Uno)
The mirror of reality, which enables far-sightedness, is still a very rare Monster, almost unknown even in this world.
Even though he shouldn’t have felt any gaze, it is hard to believe that their gaze crossed, but if it was true, why did he give them the guide?
Seeing Uno, who has no clue and has an uneasy expression, Adler twists the corners of her lips and smiles.
“The thing is…… Uno. That’s what I think. This is――《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 showing that he has room to spare.” (Adler)
“………… Eh…… Eeeeeeeh――!?” (Uno)
While stroking the head of her favorite follower――The Star-Eater Centipede, she put her finger on her dark red coated lips.
The cold, deep indigo eyes are as deep as the abyss itself and when you gaze at them, you will feel like you are going to be sucked in.
“He let me have the first move. Uno, I was also wondering about that. There’s no way 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 didn’t notice you, Uno. It doesn’t matter how, if the number of members suddenly increases and you really don’t notice it, you’re just an idiot. In the first place, there is no Hunter who does not remember the faces and names of the members of the Party accompanying you.” (Adler)
“H-Humm…… Adler-sama. If that’s the case, then that means you made me do that even while knowing that it wouldn’t work…………” (Uno)
“To begin with, Uno isn’t even a Spirit People, right………… I’ve been watching the whole time and you were pretty unnatural. Seriously, that man is quite an actor.” (Adler)
“Hhh! Hhh! Hhh! That humannn!” (Uno)
Adler wonders how embarrassing it was for her to act in a way that didn’t suit her――.
Adler slowly stood up in front of Uno, whose face turned bright red.
A cold wind blew through the trees. Uno was at a loss for words at the pressure she could even physically feel throughout her body.
Quint opens his eyes and says as if he saw something interesting.
“Adler, you seem pretty motivated.” (Quint)
“Isn’t it obvious. I mean, his mercy means………… It means, he thinks we are, far, far inferior to him.” (Adler)
Her eyes are calm and her voice isn’t shaking. It is necessary to always maintain your composure in order to subdue a Monster. However, from the appearance Adler show, Uno can feel a rage that seems to be able to explode at any moment.
《Night Parade (Hyakki Yako)》, the Party Adler is leading is undefeated. The reason why they are not well-known is because they thoroughly crushed their opponents. But any fool could understand that when seeing the group led by Adler.
Still, it would have been better if the other party was just a Hunter. However, in 9 out of 10 cases, the other party is a “Guide (Doushu)”. After seeing their group and still judging them as an inferior “Demon King (Maou)” then even Uno would be *moyamoya* bothered by it.
Adler looks in the air for a moment without saying anything and holding back her emotions, but quickly lowers her arm.
“Shall we take advantage of your kindness, 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》. I’m also interested in the Divine Beasts and Magical Beasts that lurk in the paths created by Spirit People. He said it was the Drifting Road of the Divine Tree, right? I’ve never heard of it――.” (Adler)
“But you know Adler. This could be a trap, you know? There might be a terrible Monster that even that man can’t subdue and he is trying to trap us with it.” (Quint)
Indeed…… That is a possibility, maybe.
Uno couldn’t help but look at Adler after Quint, who is always thoughtless, unusually said a constructive criticism.
Even if you can control Monsters, it doesn’t mean that you can control all Monsters without any problems. The guides can only manipulate Monsters that have lower abilities than their own, which is why there are almost no guides in this world.
It is because if you fail to subdue a Monster, you will be killed by it――.
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However, the words that come out of Adler are devoid of any anxiety.
“That’s the thing, Quint. If I can subdue the Monsters that that man cannot subdue, it would mean that I am superior. Moreover our strength will increase so it is killing two birds with one stone.” (Adler)
“…… Well………… That’s true, I think?” (Quint)
Really, it is that simple. Neither Adler nor Quint thinks about what happens if they are defeated.
If the opponent is just a human, Adler will win. However, if the opponent is a guide, the power of the Monsters possessed by each party will directly affect the outcome of the battle. No matter how good of a guide you are, if the Monsters you possess are weak, you will lose.
It is just that, it is super eerie. That man probably hasn’t shown even a tenth of his power yet.
That man showed a compass that bring forth misfortune with great enthusiasm. In other words, it means that 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 swallowed all the misfortunes that befall him and became stronger.
Perhaps the source of his confidence is also the Monsters he had subdued at the end of the fierce battles he had gone through.
But the die has already been cast. Once the fire has been lit, Adler will not stop even if the opponent is superior.
That was also, without a doubt, the quality of a “Demon King (Maou)”.
“Let’s go ahead and go down that road. Let’s take a look at the monsters released by the Spirit People before that man does.” (Adler)
She just can’t help it. It seems that the power to swing around people is the same for both this Leader and 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》.
《Night Parade (Hyakki Yako)》 is an army with Adler as its king. If Adler has decided so, her subjects can only do their best to follow.
In the worst-case scenario, they could at least escape by using Uno’s Monsters’ power. Uno sighs once and stands up with a smile on her face.
“Then, let’s hurryyy! I think it’s best to get ahead of them while running interference. Quint, this is your chance to make up for the mistake you made the other day, ‘k!” (Uno)
Receiving my gaze, Quint sighs with a *yareyare* good grief motion.
“………… Why is it that all my jobs are things like that………… Is what I would like to say, but if people think that they just need one blow to knock me unconscious, it will hurt my pride as one of the generals of the 《Night Parade (Hyakki Yako)》.” (Quint)
The forest buzzes as if in agreement with what Quint said.
The dark cyclops swordsman who is sitting cross-legged――Zork looks down at Quint with a sharp gaze.
The one with the most subdued Monsters in Adler’s army is Quint. Their number is so great that it is impossible for them to always follow him.
Even when they actually encountered 《Strange Grief (Nageki no Borei)》 in the plains, he only kept a small part of it by his side. Quantity is power. Leaving aside the quality of those Monsters, his ability to control a large number of monsters is truly worthy of the name of a general of the demon army.
“Quint, do everything you can to hold them back. There are just a lot of them, we can replenish them as we press on.” (Adler)
“…… I am keeping Zork, he is my favorite.” (Quint)
Quint stands up and whistles. A high-pitched sound echoes through the forest.
The key to commanding a large army is how to convey orders to the entire army. Quint’s skill, which enables detailed command by whistling with his finger, is a rare skill that even Uno and Adler could not use.
The ground shakes and a strong wind blows through the trees. In the distance, a roar rises. The roar of warriors filled with a strong fighting spirit.
With a small sigh, Quint looks straight at Adler and says.
“I ordered everyone in the forest apart from us to split up into small units and attack them periodically. It doesn’t matter if their enemy is a Magi or not, they will fight until they die. But…… you understand, don’t you? I have thrown away my army, so I need results that match that.” (Quint)
“Of course, General. I will soon give you an army stronger than ever.” (Adler)
Adler shrugs at Quint’s intimidating gaze.