Kays Translations

Chapter 305: Snow Worm

The exchange of information among the knights continued. While individual squads might not grasp the whole picture, combining information from all the teams might reveal something.

“There must be a reason for the absence of monsters.”

“However, no abnormalities were observed in the mountains.”

“There were no fallen trees or suspicious footprints. Though, footprints might be quickly covered by snow.”

“That possibility is low.”

The Snow Spirit spoke up. Attention shifted towards them.

“I’ve ensured that no snow has fallen in this area for a while. If there were footprints, they should remain.”

A murmur of amazement spread through the group. As expected of a spirit. Seriously, being able to control a natural phenomenon like that is insane. This is definitely someone we must never make an enemy of. We need to treat them with the utmost respect.

“Then, could it be that the monsters have all moved from the mountain to the foothills?”

“That would imply a major migration. If that’s the case, there should already be some reports of damage somewhere.”

Lionel looked grim. It seems they haven’t received such a report yet, but hearing the investigation team’s accounts, he probably thinks it’s only a matter of time.

“Then what if they moved to the far side of the mountains? That would explain why there has been no monster damage on this side.”

Brother Cain’s suggestion had merit. The monsters might now be appearing in the territory beyond the mountains, but that still left one question unanswered: what had driven them away? One possibility was that a powerful monster had appeared in the Cassius Mountains.

If such a monster existed, there should be some traces of it.

“There might be a strong monster somewhere in the Cassius Mountains.”

“That’s a high possibility. The investigation starting tomorrow will need to be conducted more cautiously. However, this means it will take more time.”

Lionel pondered deeply. Although the base was well-fortified, food supplies were limited. As a new directive, it was decided that even if traces were found, no single squad would follow them alone.

Fortunately, the Snow Spirit’s telepathy allowed the units to report immediately, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Provoking whatever had driven the monsters away could send them swarming towards the village at the foot of the mountains.

The next day, the search range was expanded further, but still, no traces were found. Everyone was at a loss.

“Could the displaced monsters have crossed to the far side of the Cassius Mountains?”

“That would be troublesome. If they return to this area, similar issues could arise repeatedly, and who knows how many times.”

“There’s also the option of halting the current investigation and conducting a new one after the snow melts.”

One of the expedition’s strategists suggested this. He had a point. If there was no target to investigate, there was no reason to linger. It would be better to wrap things up early and conserve our supplies. Supplies weren’t free, after all.

“Even so, the fact that there are no footprints is strange. Could that really happen?”

Brother Cain furrowed his brow. Even if the monsters themselves were gone, it seemed impossible that they had left absolutely no traces. I agreed.

“It certainly feels odd.”

“The footprints from yesterday’s search should still be there, shouldn’t they?”

The investigation team members pondered my question. It seems they hadn’t paid much attention to their own footprints. A bad feeling began to creep in.

“Julius, do you have any ideas?”

“Yes, I’ve thought of one frightening possibility…”

“W-what is it?”

All eyes were on me, and a silence fell over the base. I didn’t expect such intense attention. But this was an issue that needed to be addressed.

“There may be a Snow Worm nearby.”

“A Snow Worm…”

Everyone visibly paled at the name Snow Worm. Evidently, they all knew the monster. I was relieved that no one asked how I knew about it; I could have claimed I had researched it as a possible source of magic-potion ingredients.

“You really think of frightening things, Julius.”

“Yes, but it is a serious possibility. The snow would be much deeper higher in the Cassius Mountains.”

“That’s right, leader. Compared to the snow around here, it’s about three times thicker.”

Three times as deep! Travelling over that snow would be extremely difficult. I should have prepared a magic potion that made it easier to walk across the surface.

“This is terrible. Everyone, tomorrow, first check the footprints you made. If they are gone, it’s highly likely that Snow Worms are present. Contact us immediately and return to the base as soon as possible.”

The situation had become urgent. Snow Worms were enormous worm-like monsters that travelled beneath deep snow. Their passage churned the snow so thoroughly that tracks vanished from the surface.

They swallowed prey with enormous mouths, leaving nothing behind. That could explain why the investigators had found neither monsters nor other living creatures.

“Lionel, it seems there were no reports of Snow Worms in this area before.”

“Yes. I have never received such reports.”

“Then, did they come from the other side of the Cassius Mountains?”

“There is a high possibility.”

Lionel’s expression darkened. Any unit that encountered a Snow Worm could have been swallowed before sending a warning. The monsters needed deep snow to move freely beneath the surface, and larger specimens required greater depth.

The snow around the base was shallow enough that any Snow Worms here would probably be small, making it unlikely that they could swallow a person whole. Higher in the mountains, however, the snow was three times as deep and could conceal much larger specimens. Detecting them beneath the surface would be extremely difficult even with the ‘Detection’ skill.

The ‘Magic Detection’ skill would be another matter. It specialised in locating living creatures above or below ground. We only needed to determine whether anyone in the expedition possessed it.

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