Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 10: Monster
“This, you damn fool!!”
At exactly the halfway point between the Rugen residence and the destination, Rurya Village, lightning struck.
Enju, who had been yelled at by Dolph, and Hyde were sitting upright on the floor of the cart. Though Hyde couldn’t help but think, “Why am I being scolded too?”, perhaps it was only natural that, as an older brother, he would be scolded alongside his younger sister.
Unable to find a way to call out to the knights riding outside the cart, Hyde had, until this very moment when the group stopped, been unable to make Enju’s presence known.
“…Because I was worried about big brother.”
“I told you! The knight order is with you! There’s nothing to worry about! Just because your skill has awakened doesn’t mean you’ve become a full-fledged adult! How many times have I told you that?!”
“Now, now, Captain, let’s not go overboard. The gate we’re dealing with this time is of a low threat level, and we have more than enough personnel. Adding one more person to look after doesn’t make much of a difference.”
Seeing Dolph’s fury continue for nearly ten minutes, one of the knights stepped in to mediate.
“…I told you to double-check the cargo before we set out. And yet, you couldn’t even notice the child sneaking in. What is the meaning of this?”
The knight, who was glaring fiercely at the other knight, briefly glanced at Enju before saluting as a knight would.
“Th-That’s right, sneaking into the cargo cart is a problem! Captain, I think we should be more strict about this.”
“Mm, very well.”
“Then I will stay alert and keep watch over the surroundings!”
Dolph’s scolding continued until the horses’ break ended.
◆ ◆ ◆
In the end, the group set off again with Enju still on board. They had decided that they couldn’t turn back after coming this far.
Inside the moving cart, Enju, finally freed from Dolph’s scolding, was enjoying the situation. She was peering through the gaps in the cart and speaking to Hyde about various things.
She wasn’t the least bit remorseful.
(Doesn’t she get it? Mom will be waiting for us when we get back.)
Hyde imagined the moment they would return to the mansion and mentally joined his hands in prayer for Enju.
By the time the group, which had set out the previous morning, arrived at their destination, the sun was already high in the sky.
Hyde and the others watched from behind the cargo cart as Dolph gave instructions to the other knights.
Soon enough, the preparations were complete, and they entered the forest where the gate had appeared.
There were fifteen members in total participating in this expedition, including Dolph. Three of them stayed behind in the nearby village of Rurya, and the remaining twelve formed a formation, placing Hyde and the others in the center.
“Although there have been a few irregularities, it’s fine. This gate is relatively small in scale, so as long as we stay between the lines of our formation, it shouldn’t be too dangerous,” Dolph said as he walked alongside Hyde and the others.
“The purpose of this mission is simply to observe what kind of monsters we are dealing with. The knights will handle the actual extermination, so don’t try to act on your own. Understood?”
“Yes, understood.”
“……Enju.”
“Y-Yes!”
At Dolph’s stern tone, Enju straightened her back and replied.
After several minutes of advancing while repeatedly scanning the surroundings, the group came to a complete stop.
“So it’s here. …Everyone, prepare for combat.”
At those words, Hyde and the others turned their attention to the front.
For a brief moment, they felt like they saw nothing. But that feeling lasted only an instant.
It appeared suddenly.
“LUAAGYOOOOO!!!!”
A roar so loud it seemed to tear through the air pierced their ears.
What appeared was a monstrous creature, resembling a gigantic lizard. It was about three meters long and glared at them with wild, unsteady eyes like a zombie.
(So that’s a monster…)
The creature, filled with madness, exuded the scent of destruction, something unlike any living creature they had encountered before.
Hyde’s body froze involuntarily.
The creature gave off such an overwhelming sense of intimidation and revulsion.
“…Enju?”
Hyde suddenly realized that Enju had grabbed his sleeve. When he glanced to his side, Enju was clinging to him, her face as pale as a sheet.
“Big brother, I’m scared…”
Where had the mischievous girl gone? Now, Enju was trembling in fear before the monster.
(Well, that thing is definitely beyond what Enju could handle right now.)
Even if he tried to strike it with swordsmanship, it would be great if he could take it down with a single blow, but that wouldn’t be so easy.
Being able to fear something you can’t defeat is, in a way, a necessary quality for survival.
“It’s alright, Enju. Father and the others are here.”
At Hyde’s words, the knights moved into action.
The four knights in the front drew their swords and spread out, flanking the monster.
The giant lizard-like creature immediately lunged at one of them.
(—Fast.)
The monster closes the distance with an unimaginable agility for its massive size and attacks the guild members.
Normally, they would be helpless, bitten without a chance to fight back.
But in this world, there are skills.
“Hah…!”
The guild member easily blocks the monster’s attack, and the remaining members leap onto the now-stopped giant lizard.
Ad
They strike at its limbs as if they were hunting, and the monster lets out a painful roar.
“Captain!”
“Ah, well done.”
Dolph, who had been standing next to Hyde, had drawn his sword at some point and closed in on the monster.
He then delivers a powerful blow infused with a skill aimed at the monster’s head.
“――【Swordsmanship】”
“LOAAAA――…”
The monster’s head is cleaved in two, and its dying scream echoes out.
With a heavy sound, its massive body collapses to the ground, and its form dissolves into black light, scattering into the air.
What remains is only a stone-like object that glows with a mysterious light.
“You’ve probably read about this in books. When monsters die, they leave behind a mana stone, a stone that contains mana, before disappearing.”
Dolph speaks as he sheaths his sword.
He speaks so casually, as if slaying monsters is part of everyday life.
Well, in fact, it is.
(Even from an amateur’s perspective, the extermination was refined. A well-trained coordination. Each member fulfilled their role. But that doesn’t mean there’s no danger to their lives.)
Ad
Hyde thinks to himself again.
This… is a way of life he could never live.
“Father, I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, Enju spoke words of apology.
It was a different kind of apology from earlier, one that came from the bottom of her heart.
She must have realized how reckless her actions had been in the face of the monster’s threat.
“…I’m glad you understand. The gate this time should have fewer monsters, given its scale. Enju, you should return to Rurya Village ahead. Hey, can I leave this to you?”
“Leave it to me.”
At Dolph’s words, three members of the squad, who had been at the back, took Enju and began heading back down the path they came.
Enju looked anxiously toward Hyde, but she said nothing and quietly obeyed.
“Good grief, I hope this becomes a good lesson for her.”
As they began walking again, Dolf muttered tiredly.
“Did you think this would happen from the start, Father?”
“Pretty much as expected.”
“Then wouldn’t it have been better to leave Enju in Rurya Village from the beginning?”
Hyde asked, and Dolph shrugged before responding.
“If I had done that, she would have gone back to the mansion and continued to overestimate her own abilities. It was a little premature, but it’s better for her to know the vastness of the world. Plus, I wouldn’t want her doing things on her own recklessly.”
“…So, does this mean you brought me on this expedition for the same purpose?”
“Hahaha, you’re overthinking it. There’s no hidden motive for bringing you along.”
Dolph laughed merrily.
Hyde wondered what could be so amusing, but Dolph simply laughed boisterously.
After laughing for a while, Dolph composed his expression and became serious again.
“Well, we may have taken down one, but there’s still some distance to the gate. According to the preliminary investigations, there should be a considerable amount of time before the breach, but it’s always better to take down the monsters quickly. Let’s hurry.”
The monsters that poured out onto the surface through the gate will not leave the vicinity of the gate for a while.
However, just like in a dungeon, once the number of monsters around the gate exceeds its capacity, they will leave the area and truly be unleashed upon the surface.
That is the breach. The most critical situation to prevent.
At that moment, when the air that had loosened up tightened again, the sky in the distance glowed red.
(What is that…?)
Through the trees, an artificial light could be seen. It was in the direction of Rurya Village, where Enju and the others had gone back, but—
“Everyone, retreat! Immediately, retreat!!”
With Dolph’s shout, the guild members all turned around in unison.
“Father, what is that light?”
“That’s a flare. When searching a wide area, the flare is used to quickly notify others of monster sightings. All members carry one.”
Dolph said, his expression filled with a sense of urgency far greater than before.
“The red flare is a call for help. —Enju and the others are in danger.”