Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two: Before Things Settle Down
How long had we been standing there…?
Eventually, as the ice’s edges begin to round off and dripping water starts darkening the ground, Mr. Ville gives Mr. Ed a big nod. In response, Mr. Ed raises his hand, and the ice before us simply vanishes.
It doesn’t melt—it literally disappears!
If that much ice had melted, the ground would be a muddy mess, so this is better, but… where did all that mass go…?
When I nervously glance over, Mr. Ed just stands there with a bright smile.
…Right! Let’s not think about it!
‘Inside! Let’s hurry inside! It smells so good!’
“Ah, come on! Wait, Gomamiso! There might still be something dangerous in there!”
As I scoop up Gomamiso, who’s pawing at the ground and about to dash off, Ms. Aria takes the opportunity to check inside the nest. Seeing the thin silver threads covering the entire nest, I wonder if she’s sensing vibrations or something?
…Now that we’re closer, this nest is really huge… Not quite a house, but maybe the size of two classrooms? Judging by the tree tip poking out from the center, that must be the nest’s core.
After a moment with her eyes closed, Ms. Aria’s ice-blue eyes suddenly snap open.
Simultaneously, the silver threads covering the nest return to her hand.
“Nothing seems to be… moving inside…!”
“Alright… then let’s go in…”
Upon hearing Ms. Aria’s report, Mr. Ville raises his greatsword, scabbard and all. Using his raw strength, he struck the nest wall, shattering it and creating a large hole.
Thanks to Mr. Ed quickly sending in orbs of light through the newly made opening, there’s enough illumination to explore. Peering inside cautiously, it’s bright enough to see multiple layers of honeycomb-like structures.
…Those white things drooping from the hexagonal cells are… larvae, right? I wonder if the cells with covers contain almost adult hornets?
And yup… there are dead giant hornets with curled-up legs scattered everywhere.
As I’m processing these mixed feelings, someone suddenly pats my shoulder.
“Let’s go, Rin.”
“Ah, yes!”
Following Mr. Ville’s gesture toward the nest’s interior, I enter while holding Gomamiso. Being a nest made by giant hornets, there’s just enough space between the combs to walk through. Still, it’s pretty cold in here, probably from being frozen earlier. Walking toward the center of the silent nest, I can only hear our footsteps… no… wait… there’s another sound! I can hear a buzzing sound, like wings vibrating! The sound is coming directly from ahead… meaning something’s still alive in the center!
As we pick up our pace through the nest, the mysterious buzzing grows louder, and we quickly reach an open space.
“So there was still one left!”
“It’s huge! Is this the queen!?”
Peeking from behind Mr. Ville, who instantly moved to protect me, I see a giant hornet, slightly blackened but still actively threatening us.
If the earlier giant hornets were about the size of Shiba Inus, this one is much bigger… maybe Bernese Mountain Dog size or larger?
Its size is terrifying, but thankfully it can’t fly properly. In fact, all it can do is click its jaws threateningly, and it quickly falls prey to Ms. Aria’s threads…
Just when I thought we were done…
As Gomamiso watches the queen break apart without even a death cry, it finally starts thrashing wildly in my arms.
‘That! That smells good!!!’
“Ah, hey! Gomamiso!”
I couldn’t hold the kitten with that force and ended up dropping it, but it landed perfectly and charged straight at the queen’s remains…
‘Miiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaa!’
Gomamiso’s front paw slashes through the hornet’s abdomen with a cry I can’t even interpret. Along with spraying fluids, something… shiny rolls out and stops at my feet.
It’s a deep blue stone-like object, slightly larger than my closed fist. It glints in the magical light floating around us.
Though it’s covered in hornet fluids, my hand moves to grab it before I can feel disgusted. Because Gomamiso, its eyes changing color, is diving for it!
I snatch up whatever it is from the ground before Gomamiso can pounce on it, raising it high above my head to keep it away.
Gomamiso protests by repeatedly smacking it long tail against the ground, but I’m determined not to lower my arms.
‘Mine! That’s mine!’
“Oh, come on! This isn’t yours! This is party property!”
‘Nooo! That smells good! It’s tasty!’
Though Gomamiso is throwing a tantrum, it could easily jump onto my head and snatch this stone if it really wanted to… Even though it’s claiming "It’s mine!", the cat’s holding back because I grabbed it first… Like "first come, first served"?
…But it seems Gomamiso wasn’t the only one who reacted to the blue stone.
When they see the stone I’m holding up, Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon’s expressions quickly change. Noticing their reactions, Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria look over too… furrowing their brows tightly.
Huh… w-what’s this… We haven’t finished the quest yet, and there’s another problem!?
At my feet, only Gomamiso, meowing softly, maintains any sense of normalcy as I look around in confusion.
Thank you for all the chapters so far. Wonderful translation, easy to read and understand. Love the Fancy levels!
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