NOVEL NEXT Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Towards the Triangular Rock
Chapter 80: Towards the Triangular Rock
(Back to Bonus’ Perspective)
The day after the black panther passed away.
For the time being, we decided to head to the Triangular Rock.
Originally, we were planning to go to Savoia today, but we couldn’t decide if it was okay to take the newborn black panther cub with us.
After discussing with everyone until noon, we decided to go to the nearby Triangular Rock for now to check on the black panther cub’s condition and see if Menas and the others are there.
“Mew~ Meow~”
“Let’s take Kohaku with us too.”
This black panther cub was named Kohaku.
(Note:”Kohaku” means “amber” in Japanese. It can also refer to the color amber or a type of gemstone. )
The name was inspired by the color of the mother’s eyes.
By the way, Kohaku’s eyes are still blue.
Well, it can’t be helped since it was just born.
However, despite being born just yesterday, Kohaku already had its eyes wide open the next morning.
Currently, its features are still cute, but eventually, just like its mother, it will surely have amber-colored eyes that are both terrifying and beautiful, gleaming mischievously.
“So, I thought of naming it Kohaku. Is that okay… Elizabeth?”
“Baa~ Baa~ Baa~”
“…I guess you finally agreed.”
On the way to the Triangular Rock, as we gently swayed on Elizabeth’s back along with everyone, I cautiously spoke to her.
Actually, I came up with various good names last night, but for some reason, they were all rejected by Elizabeth.
Elizabeth’s judgment is quite strict.
“As an alternative pattern imagined from the eyes, how about Sauron——”
“Mbweh!”
“…Sorry. Um, then let’s stick with Kohaku.”
At first, Kohaku felt like a large black cat, but upon closer inspection the morning after, it indeed had various distinctive features.
Firstly, its limbs were thick, and overall, its skeleton was large and robust.
Its paw pads were thick and large, giving it a plush toy-like appearance overall.
Its facial features, while cute, also had a hint of fierceness.
Its movements were still hesitant and unsteady, but for a newborn, it was moving quite firmly.
Its tail was long and thick relative to its body.
And occasionally, it emitted sparks——.
Yes, it seems that when this child gets excited, its tail fur swells as if standing on end, and it emits sparks resembling embers from somewhere around its tail.
“It’s not hot, and it doesn’t seem to ignite anything… I wonder what this is all about?”
“It’s beautiful, so it’s fine, right? Right?”
“Mew~”
Turning around, I saw Shiro smiling while holding Kohaku and cuddling it.
While not from the same lineage as Elizabeth, Kohaku also had a wonderful texture.
It was pleasantly soft and smooth, yet somewhat fleshy.
But unfortunately, Kohaku’s claws were incredibly sharp, not at all like those of a newborn, and I had to wrap it in Elizabeth’s blanket when I picked it up to avoid any accidents.
If it’s lively all day today, I plan to trim its claws.
However, the onis didn’t seem to mind at all, just happily cuddling the kitten, relying on its recovery ability, even as they were scratched.
Unfair.
But as the one watching, I would appreciate it if they cared a little more, as it seemed quite painful.
Shiro held Kohaku in a way that wouldn’t damage her clothes too much, with her clothes loosely opened.
Holding the smooth fur of the black panther against her healthy and beautiful tanned skin, she looked both seductive and like a high-end fashion poster, unnecessarily cool.
I want to join them, but it would ruin the scene.
“There, there, there, there~”
“Gyaa~? Kyaa~!”
Since I couldn’t hold Kohaku until I trimmed its claws, I stroked Kuro’s head, who was sitting in front of me.
While frolicking, Kuro was diligently making something like a baby carrier out of Elizabeth’s thread.
In front of them, Mil pressed her face against Zamza’s back, drooling and snoring while asleep.
After the black panther passed away yesterday, Mil took the lead and worked late into the night to take care of various things, so she must still be tired.
By the way, the black panther’s corpse was much more damaged than I had expected.
Perhaps because its fur was black and didn’t stand out much.
There were numerous laceration-like wounds on its skin, and many teeth and claw marks were visible.
Although it seemed so composed and relaxed while alive, it was actually quite worn out.
It’s a wonder it could give birth to a child at all.
Once, when we saw it from a distance near the lake, we dug a hole under the banana tree near the lake where it was lying leisurely and buried it together.
While Elizabeth was feeding Kohaku, she kept staring at it intently the whole time.
As we were swaying on Elizabeth’s back, reminiscing vaguely about the black panther’s commotion of the past few days, the outline of the Triangular Rock gradually came into view without us realizing it.
Just as we were about to arrive, Gisella suddenly spoke up.
“Hey, Bonus. Um… aren’t they fighting?”
“Huh? With Menas and the others…?”
“The imps and black wolves, plus scavenging corpses. There seem to be more than expected, and it looks quite troublesome… Menas and the others seem to be handling it quite well.”
“Let’s charge straight in!”
While Elizabeth suppressed the vibrations, she accelerated suddenly.
Since Shiro was holding Kohaku, it seemed like she was watching.
Despite the situation, she was happily smiling as Kohaku sucked on her finger.
Mil woke up abruptly from the intensified vibrations, glanced around for a moment, then immediately grabbed her weapon.
It seemed everyone else had already prepared their weapons.
“Hey, Menas! It’s Bonus! We’ll help!”
“Waaah! Kidanakemo’s… wait, Bonus!? Huh!?”
Edda, who was closest, screamed while holding her weapon.
Indeed, there were about twenty imps and black wolves combined, rampaging recklessly.
A little further away, there were about five creatures resembling bald orangutans.
They were opening their mouths wide, throwing stones while emitting strange cries.
With their oddly gleaming cloudy eyes, they gave off a rather unpleasant impression just by looking at them.
As Elizabeth scattered the nearby black wolves, she leaped into the midst of the conflict.
“Nmeeeee!!”
The imps, black wolves, and even members of the caravan were momentarily thrown into a panic.
Except for Shiro and me, everyone else jumped down, rushing towards nearby enemies.
In the chaotic situation with allies and enemies mixed together, and with Kohaku present, Elizabeth seemed to be keeping quiet this time.
“Bonus-san! What about that Kidanakemo!?”
“They’re allies! Come over here and take cover!”
Menas also unusually had a saber. Clearly surprised by Elizabeth’s appearance, she seemed intimidated.
Beside Menas, Gazat was restraining the black wolves with a scimitar.
Although he was said to be quite skilled, he was using a stable fighting style that made good use of his chubby body, maintaining a sense of stability.
Gazat wasn’t perturbed by our appearance and moved smoothly without hesitation.
“As usual, a peculiar entrance, Bonus! Do you have meat today?”
“Jeda is as lively as ever. I’m glad you’re doing well! Don’t worry, there’s meat!”
Jeda attacked the imps with sabers in both hands while calling out.
He’s still as energetic as ever, that old man.
“Ugh…”
“That was close… I let my guard down. Sorry, Shiro.”
“It’s okay.”
A stone thrown by the bald orangutan came flying towards us.
I tried to dodge it somehow, but Shiro reached out from behind and grabbed the stone before it hit us.
“Hm!”
While still holding Kohaku, Shiro let out a small shout and threw back the stone using only the strength of one arm.
Just as the sound of the wind being cut could be heard, a hole opened in the bald orangutan’s body, and it collapsed.
Despite the lack of footing, its idiotic strength was as usual.
And surprisingly, her control was also quite good.
It seemed Kuro had dealt with all the other bald orangutans.
They seemed to still be alive, but they would probably stop moving soon.
“Gyagyaah!”
“As brutal as ever, Kuro.”
Kuro often aimed for arteries or aimed for attacks that would lead to exsanguination, whether with a knife or his hands.
Her method of gradually stripping away life, like a precision machine, was terrifying yet reliable.
Recently, she even seemed to calculate to avoid getting splattered with blood.
“We’re done here~”
It seemed Gisella had single-handedly defeated most of the remaining black wolves and imps.
Zamza and Mil seemed to be calming down the members of the caravan and focusing on protecting them.
Since the previous battle with the black wolves, they had become remarkably coordinated.
Especially Zamza, who would always go first to secure the safety of the caravan, was truly showing signs of growth.
Well, I was just yelling on top of Elizabeth as usual…
“Menas, long time no see! It’s my first time seeing monsters at the Triangular Rock. I hope no one got hurt?”
“We’re saved, Bonus-san. This is also my first time… Everyone seems okay. Anyway, Bonus-san, with such forces… are you planning on starting a war?”