How to Live as a Genius Scholar in another World

Chapter 12 – Sewer Reconnaissance Request (3)

—–CROW—– 

*Creak… creak….*

As I descended the metal ladder, the stench of a public restroom drain filled the air.

I immediately wanted to subcontract this job out, even sub-sub-subcontract it. I would have done so if it weren’t for the issue of subcontracting a 3-copper job.  Who would take it for less?

“There’s a broken spot right as we come down.”

Gentrick said, pointing to a spot illuminated by the lantern.  A small opening in the wall. A circular drain with vertical bars like a prison cell. One of the bars was completely missing.

“A drain? No, it’s a passage.”

“It’s an emergency exit.  The map shows a few more inside the sewer.”

Tirsi, who came down after us, said, unfolding the map.

“An escape route. Is it for emergencies like flash floods?”

“I don’t know.  Whatever its purpose, we can’t use it. It’s locked.”

“Too bad.”

“Let’s hope we don’t need to escape.”

Gentrick wiped his nose above his mask. Don’t jinx it, old man.

“Ms. Francesca? Could you write down ‘A01 Drainage Passage, Missing Bars’ on the paper?”

“Missing bars? Yes, I understand.”

Francesca wrote down the number Tirsi read from the map. Her handwriting was round and pretty, befitting a dexterous dwarf.

The mention of missing bars reminded me of checking barbed wire fences in the military.  Even after being dropped into another world, the memories of my damn army days were still vivid.

“Let’s move. I hope we can finish before nightfall.”

With Tirsi’s words, we began our reconnaissance.

***

*Step… step…*

Gentrick and I walked in the lead, following an unspoken rule.

Warriors always tanked at the front. We were men, couldn’t use magic, had no other skills, and were, well, men.

So, becoming meat shields for the female mage and rogue was the natural order of things. This was a world ruled by machismo and bravado.

We walked around the sewers for a long time. The interior, resembling the sewers of London, was bearable if you ignored the darkness and the smell.

“The rope on the bridge is damaged. Should we record that too?”

“Uh… I’ll write it down.”

“The bricks are crumbling at that sewer entrance.”

“That’s… a corner turning inward. There’s no number for it on the map. What should we do?”

“How about writing ‘Between Drainage Passages D04 and D05’?”

“That sounds good. Let’s do that.”

We diligently carried out the request.

According to Tirsi, who had a pocket watch, almost three hours had passed.  The sewer system marked on the map was long and complex, so we needed to plan an efficient route.

But just walking was boring, so we naturally started chatting.

“Ms. Tirsi, why did you apply for this request?  Mages… you could take on better requests.”

Francesca asked, diligently keeping up with our pace. I was curious too, so I listened to their conversation while walking.

“For promotion.  Not for Silver class, but from a long-term perspective.”

Tirsi, tucking the map under her arm, said, pulling out the plate hanging from her neck.

“Up to Gold class, request completion history is everything for promotion.  But beyond that… to get a Platinum or Mithril plate, you have to meet the Adventurers’ Guild Alliance’s standards.”

Adventurers’ Guild Alliance.

Considering that “guild” meant “association,” it was a bizarre name. It meant “Adventurers’ Association Alliance.”  But the actual meaning was just as the name suggested.

“You mean the organization formed by the Adventurers’ Guilds.”

Old Gentrick also turned around and joined the conversation. Tirsi nodded.

“Yes.  It’s an organization with branches in each country, mediating between guilds and nations.”

Tirsi’s description was accurate. I also considered the Adventurers’ Guild Alliance to be the ridiculously violent UN of this world.

An organization akin to an interest group, occasionally intervening with force. It seemed like a very apt analogy.

“Are there separate requirements to become Platinum or higher?”

Intrigued, I asked Tirsi.  My esteemed advisor, Professor Brammaton, was also a Gold-class adventurer.

There was no way someone who held a professorship at Carmine University would be stuck at Gold due to lack of skill.  Tirsi’s words implied there were other conditions.

“There must be criteria for promotion.  But the Alliance doesn’t officially announce them, so I don’t know. I’m just making an educated guess.”

Tirsi replied, putting her plate back in her pocket.

“However, it’s almost certain that adventurers belonging to other organizations have difficulty reaching Platinum or higher.”

Huh?  Why?  I tilted my head for a moment, then realized the reason.

“It’s a matter of vested interests and pride.”

It meant they discriminated against those who also worked in “other industries,” like Professor Brammaton and me.

Even if they gave a Platinum or Mithril plate to an archaeologist, we wouldn’t quit our main jobs and dedicate ourselves to the adventurer profession.

“…I’m surprised. You understand quickly.”

Tirsi widened her eyes in surprise.  She seemed impressed that I figured it out without needing a full explanation.

“Huh? Huh? What do you mean?”

Francesca, who had asked the initial question, still didn’t understand, so I gave a brief explanation.

“No blacksmith goes around praising another blacksmithy for their good work.  After all, the other party is a rival, and praising them doesn’t benefit you.”

“Ah—. I understand. So it’s a ‘matter of vested interests and pride.’”

“Exactly.  Especially towards mages from the Mages’ Guild who don’t have sponsors.”

Tirsi said, sounding frustrated.

“They can’t openly discriminate, so they find fault with various things. They might say things like, ‘You showed a tendency to prioritize profit when choosing requests as a rookie,’ or ‘You lack the mindset to cooperate with other adventurers.’”

“People are the same everywhere.”

Points deducted for lack of teamwork.

It was something team leaders who single-handedly carried group projects often heard.

Even if the team leader worked their ass off alone because all the team members bailed, some professors would say such bullshit.  It had been years, but I still felt the frustration as if it had happened yesterday.

“So, you took on this request to add some community service to your record.”

“…I don’t consider working with you all as community service.”

“I apologize.  My wording was poor.  I just heard that some guilds also consider community service scores.”

When I, born in 1995, was aiming to enter a prestigious high school, we had to fill up community service hours for admission.

That’s what I was thinking of, but it might have sounded a bit off. Tirsi shook her head when I apologized.

“No. It’s partly true.  I wanted to add a record of completing an unpopular request as a party leader.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s mutually beneficial.”

I said with a smile.

“We get help from a Bronze-tier mage, and the mage also benefits.  We should be the ones thanking you.”

“…Thank you.”

Tirsi replied awkwardly.  Gentrick and Francesca secretly chuckled at her reaction.

“Oh, look over there. The manhole cover is missing there too.”

Francesca pointed to a drain on the opposite side. The drain cover, meant to block debris, was missing.

“Oh, you’re right. Hmm. So, that drain is…”

We stopped for a moment as Tirsi shone the lantern on the map, searching for the drain number.

“Phew… Why are there so many broken things in the sewers? Are some thugs messing around and breaking them?”

Gentrick, massaging his knee, suddenly complained.  We had found over ten problems in three hours, and he was getting frustrated with the endless work.

“You’re not wrong. The monsters that infest human settlements are worse than thugs.”

Whether on Earth or here, it was always pests that destroyed things like fences.

The creatures living in the sewers were breaking things to make shortcuts, and we were the ones suffering for it.

“Monsters did that? Nonsense.”

Gentrick looked as if he hadn’t even considered the possibility, despite his long experience in this field. I was about to add another point to my list of this world’s lack of knowledge, but his next words froze me in place.

“Then why haven’t we encountered a single monster so far?”

“…Uh… is that so?”

I was speechless.

He was right.  If monsters were the ones trashing the sewers, we should have been fighting them for our lives by now, after wandering around for hours.

“…You’re right.  If it wasn’t monsters, what could it be? Humans have no reason to damage the sewers.”

Francesca also put down her notepad and voiced her doubt.

“Monsters must be the cause. Come to think of it, I don’t see any of the cleaning slimes released by the Mages’ Guild either.”

Tirsi spoke after the three of us discussed the issue.

“Uh…”

I hadn’t noticed anything amiss because I was just following instructions like in a game quest.

The dark sewer, which I was starting to get used to, suddenly seemed like the camouflage of a bizarre creature.

Humans hadn’t done it, and there were no monsters in sight.

“If monsters did it, but the monsters aren’t here…”

I spoke, trying to shake off the ominous feeling.

“…then maybe the monsters disappeared for some reason?”

And the moment I said those words, they appeared.

*Crackle.*

*Crackle, crackle.*

At the dead end of the sewer, we found “those creatures” clinging to the wall.  They were large, exoskeletal creatures with six jointed legs and two antennae – insects.

It wasn’t unusual to find insects living in sewers.

“Huh?”

Except for the fact that they were fucking huge.

*Crackle, crackle.*

–– *Crackle.*

Dozens of giant bugs froze their antennae and movements in the light of the lantern, and then—

*Crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle!!*

—they scurried around, landed on the floor, and charged towards us.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!!!!!  Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!! What are those!!!!!!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs in the dimly lit sewer corner.

—I had once read something like that online.

If spiders the size of humans existed, they would become the strongest land predators due to their insect-like physical abilities and hunting skills.

However, the article concluded that it would be impossible for insects to grow to human size.

Their exoskeletons wouldn’t be able to support their own weight at that size.

I remembered being grateful for Earth’s gravity after reading that conclusion.

“But what the fuck, they’re supporting their weight just fine!!!”

The black, shiny exoskeletons glistened in the light of our lanterns!

They were all the same kind of giant bug!!

“Aaaaaaaaagh!!! Fucking Great Big Katydids!!!”

“Gyaaaaaah!!! There are so many of them!! So many!!!”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!! The sound!! I hate that buzzing sound!!!”

Shit! I let my guard down!

This was a world with giants, dinosaurs, and all sorts of things.  There was no way there wouldn’t be bugs the size of a human knee.

Insects that looked like a cross between katydids and cockroaches!

Maybe there were no gods in this world.  Even if there were, they probably didn’t create all life on this land.

If there was a god who created such creatures, I would rather abandon faith than acknowledge the existence of such an insect-loving deity. It would be better for my mental health.

*Crackle, crackle!!*

*Crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle!!*

“Aaaaaaaaagh!!! They’re flying!!! Flying Katydids!!!”

“Run awaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!”

“Escape!! Esesescapeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!”

We became a single, screaming speaker, sprinting back through the sewer.

The four brave adventurers had become a cursing disinfection truck, desperately pumping their legs while spewing screams and curses!

“Fuck!! Fuuuuuuuuuuck!! What the hell kind of bugs are those!!!”

“Giant Roaches!! They’re carnivorous!!”

“Thanks a fucking lot for that incredibly helpful information!!!!!”

An unexpected dead race between bugs and humans unfolded in the city’s sewers.

Fortunately, these bastards didn’t seem to have the typical insect-like physical abilities. If a katydid of that size existed on Earth, it would have jumped over us and landed in front of us in a single leap.

Did they put all their skill points and stats into maintaining their increased weight, resulting in a drastic drop in jumping power?

It was a blessing.  If these highly fertile and resilient creatures also had high specs, the moment I arrived in this world, the sky and earth would have been covered in cockroach eggs.

Even now, the katydid-roaches couldn’t catch up to us.

We were running for our lives, but at least it proved that their speed was similar to ours, or even slower.

So, if we steeled our resolve and fought, we could probably wiiiiiiiiiin—holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!

Those bastards have compound eyes!!!  So scary!!!!!

“Aaaaaaaaagh!!  Tirsi!! Ms. Tirsi!! Cast a spell or something!!!!!!!!”

“You want me to concentrate on magic in this chaotic situation?!  And I can’t breathe, I can’t run anymore!!!! Mr. Nord, can you carry me?!!!!!!!!!”

“Don’t fuck with me!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Don’t fuck with you?! Don’t fuck with you?!  But this is fucked up!! I’m sorry!!!!!!!!!”

If I tried to run while carrying a 40kg sack of rice with a fucked-up center of gravity, I would be counting down the last 10 seconds of my life.

There were at least 20 of them.  Being surrounded and eaten alive?

Even Heracles would die.  A body chewed, ripped, tasted, and enjoyed by bugs would be so messed up that even Zeus wouldn’t be able to put it among the constellations.

“T-t-t-there!!!”

Francesca suddenly shouted, trembling.  What?  Were her breasts about to rip off from all the jiggling while running?

“Th-there!! There! Let’s escape through that sewer passage!!”

Francesca pointed to a round metal grate on the wall.  It was hard to see in the darkness.

Gentrick, seeing the same thing, screamed.

“Don’t be stupid! Didn’t we say the emergency exit was locked! Do you want to die in front of the bars?!”

“Give me 10 seconds!! No, 5 seconds, and I can open it!!”

Oh my god. This was driving me crazy.  We were running out of breath, and arguing amongst ourselves was pointless.

I looked back, but the distance between us and the swarming katydid-roaches hadn’t changed much.

It wasn’t because they were running at the same speed as us. We had actually managed to create some distance at first.  But as the newbie party’s stamina ran out, the distance we had gained started to shrink.

If this continued, they would catch up!  And we would be out of breath!

“Ms. Tirsi!!”

I squeezed out every last bit of strength and shouted.

“Attack magic, defense magic, anything!  Please!!!  We’re all going to be bitten to death by bugs!!!”

Startled by my scream, Tirsi grabbed her wand and began chanting a spell.  It was, without exaggeration, as devout as a nun saying her last prayer in front of a horde of zombies.

But that wasn’t enough.

We needed more time, even just a second. If her magic failed, it would be a countdown to heaven.

So I put my second plan into action.

“Ms. Francesca!!”

“Yes!!”

“I’m going to throw you!! Brace yourself for impact!!!”

“Yes?!”

There was no need to hear her answer. I hoisted Francesca onto my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

*Heave!*

She weighed more than I expected, due to her disproportionately large breasts compared to her small frame. But I could still throw her!

“Haaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

I pulled back, putting all my strength into my fantastic muscles, over-adapted to this fantasy world after three years. I planned to throw her to buy us a second to pick the lock.

That was when it happened.

*Crackle!*

*Grab!*

“—Huh?”

Something felt strange around my waist.

How should I describe it?  It felt like six thick, plastic bubble tea straws had grabbed my waist at the same time.

It made sense.

Carrying a person slowed me down, and since I had pulled back, it wasn’t surprising that one of the “lucky ones” managed to latch onto me.

*Crackle, crackle!*

—But what the fuck, this thing was moving.

“—Oh.”

I felt the blood drain from my face and screamed.

“—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

“—Hikyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

—–CROW—–