Chapter 61 "Conflict"

　[You don't understand the language, but you'll understand this! Ora! Drop your weapon!]

No, I think I understand hostage, but I don't think I understand 'drop your weapon,' right?

　Peggy is smiling a silly smile.

　Savage looks annoyed, absentmindedly for some reason.

　Incidentally, the child the spider monster is holding hostage is limp and not moving.

　It was kicked with all his might, so it was natural. She is not dead, but I guess it's just a matter of time.

　[Heh...heh. All right, all right, all right. Don't move.]

　What should we do? I could have just left her there, but there were adventurers around....

　The people who were being manipulated can be put away as self-defense, but this one is a hostage.

　[Damn you, you little fish! You're giving me a hard time! That's all you're capable of! Don't you dare try to beat me with that level of power, you trash!]

　Who was hurt a lot by someone of that level?

　I mean, he's been saying similar things since a while ago.

　You should work a little harder on your vocabulary. It's embarrassing to listen to him.

　The spider monster began to move away from me.

　He's just saying something like that, but he's ready to run away, isn't he?

　I let out a sigh inwardly.

　[Ten paces is enough. Hey! Get your asses in here and get these guys!]

　Ah, you're not going to run away, you're going to watch from the sidelines.

If I let him go, he'll try to retaliate, and either way, I'm going to finish him off here.

　This kind of people are persistent, so if you don't get rid of them early, it will affect you later on.

　[Oh...what is it?]

　But still...nobody's coming.

　The spider monster raised a puzzled voice.

　I look back and see that Heidi has finished neutralizing those who were manipulated.

　A few of them seemed to have their limbs crushed, but the rest had relatively few wounds.

It looks like she succeeded in neutralizing them.　

"I think I've got it under control over here!"

　Heidi waved her hand. Heidi is working fast.

　Seeing this, the spider monster freezes.

　[No, the people I tamed are still here...]

　Come to think of it, there were quite a few. There must be quite a few of them, since they were fighting here and there in the city.

　The sound of multiple footsteps approaching. Oh, here they come.

　The people who seemed to be being manipulated...about six people in all jumped in.

　...Not many.

　Well, it's been quite some time and they must have been killed or seized.

　The people who rushed to the scene were moving energetically, but their eyes were half open and they lacked vitality.

　They've been fighting for a long time without a break, so this is what will happen.

　[Are you kidding me? I've done more than 50 people, this is all I've got...]

　It's a big deal to have over 50 under your control in one night, but if you do something so obvious, you're going to see this happen.

Or did you think this was a game and since you're the hero, you could do whatever you wanted?

　Ha ha ha. That's exactly what's funny.

That's what happens when you act on an impulse.

　What? You're saying it wasn't an idea to go to Mt. Shudras to rob the gold?

　It's all right because it worked out.

[Damn it. A losing event! I was totally fooled. But remember, I'm going to kill you, I swear to God. Without your friends, you're nothing! If you were alone, I'd be able to handle you!]

After all, he's going to run away. The people whom he called were seized by Heidi and the others.

　The reason they were on the defensive in the first place was because the spider monster was there, and since we have the spider monster under control, there is no need to protect them.

　In fact, the people the spider monster called have already been seized.

　So the spider monster leapt backward, taking the child hostage.

　Well, it's a good thing he came to a good position.

　Launch.

　A pointed stone pillar rises up from beneath the spider monster and pierces through its body.

　＜Stone Pillar III.>

　As the name suggests, this magic creates a pillar of stone.

Unlike the "Earth Ridge " used in the dungeon, this is an installation type, and the target must enter the position where it is set up in order to be hit, but it is useful in this situation because the thickness, shape, hardness, and angle at which it rises can be freely adjusted.

The spider monster was hit by a stone stake with a radius of 2 m, and its upper and lower bodies separated, and the child it was holding was dropped.

　"Oops."

　Peggy, who was waiting nearby, catches the fallen child.

　After a delay, the spider monster's upper body and lower body fell to the ground in that order.

　The lower half of the spider monster fell nearby and was killed with [death] just to be safe.

　[Goh...ouch...ouch...]

　It's as if we are all the same. Even after all this, he is still alive.

It is a remarkable thing that he can even talk.

Well, it's no wonder, since he won't die if his body is intact.

　I kicked it with my foot and turned it on its back.

　[Damn! If I continue, I'll definitely... wait, what's with the sword, wait...]

Ignoring what he says, I cut off his remaining limbs and incinerate him.

　The spider monster screams. What, it's still in good health, isn't it?

I tell Peggy and Savage to dispose of some of the spider monster pieces scattered around the area.

　[Im Shorry. I wond do id agen phease forgibe me.]

　He says something, but I ignore it.

Hmm, where is the main body? Is it the head?

Then I don't need anything from the neck down.

　[Please don't do this to me.]

He started to beg for his life desperately, but he just did that a minute ago, didn't he? I don't think he'll get the message.

It's hard to read his expression, but I'm sure he doesn't feel sorry at all.

All he thinks about is retaliation.

　[I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die...]

　Hmm? There's something wrong with him.

　I thought he started shaking a little, but then his whole body cracked, and from the inside...

　[Death buh-buh!]

I thrust the sword into his face. Twisting the sword as it convulsed and was still trying to move.

　I could feel the response of crushing something hard, and the spider monster stopped moving.

　I had a bad feeling, so I aimed at its head, but... what was it?

Pulling out my sword.

It was still impaled and stirring, so I was a little hesitant to look at it directly, but ...... it didn't move.

　It seems to be dead.

　I stabbed him several times with the sword to make sure, but he didn't react.

　I pretend to touch the corpse and extend my "root" to the wound.

　Now, can I pick up the memory?

...?

　I don't feel any response. Normally, I would at least feel something touching me, but....

　I frowned and grabbed the corpse of the spider monster and noticed something strange.

　It was light...or rather, empty?

　The spot where I grabbed it collapsed, and from there its whole body cracked and turned to dust and was blown away by the wind.

　What was it?

　I didn't get any information, but I got him, so that's good.

　...Well, what can I say, he was kind of a dick.

　I hope the next guy I run into is someone I can have a conversation with...

Heidi was relieved when she saw him finish off the monster.

This time, the request was to take down a rampaging monster in the city.

Originally, we were supposed to come to this town to buy slaves, but the monster got out of control and we couldn't go shopping anymore.

　Later, he and Peggy, the intermediary who joined him, would enter the town to take care of an urgent request issued by the guild.

I had seen Peggy's ability in the arena, so I was not worried about her accompanying us, but I was honestly uneasy about the presence of unknown monster.

　Although the town was small, there were battles going on here and there, and I could sense the presence of quite a few enemies, which made my anxiety grow.

"We were told that there was only one monster, right?"

　He was also concerned about that, tilting his head and wondering about it.

I am sure that when they explained to us the outline of the request, we were told that there was only one monster....

　If that's the case, then why is the battle expanding so much?

　"That's what I heard at the guild."

Peggy seemed to agree and answered the question.

　He thought about it for a moment, and then turned to the nearest place where the fighting was going on.

　What we saw there were adventurers killing each other.

　I saw them, all sane and manipulated, their faces etched with anguish.

　I leaned over to help them, thinking I had to do something.

　"What are you going to do? Do you want to help?"

　Peggy's words made me stiffen.

"Leave them alone. We'll go for the main body."

　His words completely dampened my spirits.

　After observing the adventurers who were probably being manipulated, he urged us to proceed and started walking away.

In the end, I leave the place with a feeling of being pulled back.

　He is very calm.

　He is always calm and always looking for the best move.

　Sometimes I wonder if he is a heartless, ruthless person.

　Sometimes I think so.

　In fact, he mercilessly killed all the manipulated people who showed up shortly thereafter.

　There was no hesitation at all, no mercy at all.

　The same was true for Peggy and Savage, who were very efficient in finishing off their enemies.

　There was no waste in their movements...rather, they moved so well coordinated that it was almost unnatural.

　Savage rushes in, Peggy moves in a way that crushes the blind spot, he cuts down the opponent in front of him, and he examines the corpse with impunity. I could see his trust in Peggy and the others in his actions.

　I felt a little pain in my heart when I saw that.

　I wondered if he really trusted me this much.

After inspecting all the corpses, he led Peggy and Savage onward after they finished cleaning up the enemy.

He pointed out that I hesitated to kill them when I could have done so.

　I've been told a lot of similar things many times...why can't I ever learn?

　Whenever I'm in a situation like that, the thought of helping somehow always comes to mind.

　I wondered if I was crazy...I thought about it over and over again, but the answer still eluded me.

Later, we found the monster in the auction site.

It had four limbs similar to those of a human being, eight arms that resembled stakes on its back, and a face reminiscent of an insect.

　To say the least, it was disgusting.

"...! --------"

　And it's saying something.

A language I've never heard of... language... no, it sounds like the language the monster was speaking sometime ago?

　I looked at him and he looked ...... amazed.

Does he have something on his mind?

　But he acts calmly. He tells us to hide ourselves with a hand gesture and quietly enters the shadows.

Ahead of us, the monster is slaughtering adventurers one after another.

He seems somewhat...disgusted rather than angry? It seems.

The more the monster said something, the sterner his expression became... and finally, he became completely expressionless.

To be honest, he was scarier than the rampaging monster at that moment.

I don't understand the behavior of that monster, either.

I thought the monster manipulated the slaves' master to break the contract. He was checking the faces of the slaves he was restraining one by one with a string.

　Is it looking for someone?

"--. ---. ――! ――! ――!"

When it sees a child, it suddenly makes excited noises.

　Perhaps children are their favorite food? I guess you could say it's a selection of prey to be devoured.

The monster is intelligent, just like the one in the ruins, and its purpose for coming here is to seek out prey.

"--? --. --. ――,――――――――――"

　"No, don't..."

　"Mama... mama!"

The mother of the child was bitten on the neck and immediately stood up and attacked the adventurers fighting nearby. Her face was colored with anguish.

　Separated from her mother, the child cried out and called for her.

　The monster, perhaps displeased by this, shouted something and kicked the child to the ground.

　"Hey..."

　I let out an involuntary yelp. The monster in front of me has intelligence, but it seems to lack any kind of common sense.

　I can't believe you would raise your hand to a child....

I'm well aware that that monster is one hell of an outlier.

　He was out of the shadows before I could move.

　"Heidi, you deal with the people who are being manipulated. I saw it doing something around their necks, so you can check that area. If you can't, break their limbs and disable them. The rest of you are with me to kill the monster."

　He gave us instructions in his usual tone and started walking toward the monster.

　I guess he understood what I had said earlier when he instructed me to help the adventurers.

And to me, who was angry at the monster, his back seemed to be saying, "Leave it to me."

　After all, he is not ruthless.

He is angry at the monster in his own way.

　If that's the case, I have nothing to say to him.

　"I understand."

　Leave the adventurers to me!

I'll leave the monster to you.

I turned my back on the monster, whose voice was filled with excitement at the sight of us, and rushed toward the struggling adventurers.