NOVEL NEXT chapter 77
Chapter 77
Despite the minor commotion, we set off towards Shinomori.
Shinomori lies slightly southwest of the port town of Second, along the road leading to Firth. Apparently, it’s known for its tall bamboo forests, which restrict visibility and make weapon use difficult. This has made it a popular hunting ground for intermediate adventurers seeking to test their skills and maneuverability.
The most sought-after prize in Shinomori is a material from an animal called Rapoo, which can only be obtained there. It’s prized as a material, a mount, and even as food. Tsuna is already on high alert.
As we walked along the road discussing various ways to prepare squid, we finally caught sight of our destination.
An enormous bamboo forest!
That must be Shinomori!
At the same time, we noticed a commotion at the entrance. A party of adventurers in mismatched gear was surrounded by mohawk-sporting individuals circling them on mounts. Those mounts were…
“Are those Rapoos?” I asked.
“They’re… different from what I imagined,” Tsuna replied.
In my mind, I’d pictured something like Chocobo, but these were more like penguins with long legs running around in a forward-leaning posture.
Apparently, those were indeed Rapoos.
And the mohawk-sporting riders whooping it up…
My brain couldn’t quite process the scene.
“What should we do?” Tsuna asked.
“Let’s get closer for now. We were planning to enter Shinomori anyway.”
“We could defeat their Rapoos and take the materials, couldn’t we?”
“Isn’t that robbery?”
“Villains don’t have human rights, do they?”
Tsuna, you’re scaring me!
“Villains might not have human rights, but this is a death game, remember? If we kill them, we’d be real-world criminals!”
“I know. But we can’t afford to hold back if our lives are threatened.”
I’m not so sure about that. Given our current situation, I feel like we could handle it even under those circumstances.
As I was thinking this…
“Oh, someone’s approaching the mohawks,” I noted.
“Some people have strange tastes,” Tsuna remarked.
From what I could see at a distance, a scruffy-looking man with two swords on his back was slowly approaching the mohawk group.
It seemed like he was getting into an argument with them.
“What are they doing?” Tsuna asked.
“Who knows?”
Curious about their conversation, we moved closer until we could finally make out what they were saying.
“You bastard! Do you know who we are? We’re the ‘Night Demon Burners’! You’re telling us to join you?! Do you have a death wish?!”
“Didn’t you watch the Grand Martial Festival?! Stand down! I am the great Yamamoto, the EOD killer! You’re out of your league! Just shut up and join my ranks!”
It was a ruthless battle between Yamamoto and Yamamoto.
Ah, my head hurts…
“It seems Yamamoto and Yamamoto are fighting. What will you do, Yamamoto?” Tuna asked.
“What are you expecting from me?”
Eventually, the Night Demon Burners group left, disappearing into Shinomori, seemingly tired of dealing with the crazy guy.
Oh no.
We have business in Shinomori too, but they’ve gone inside. I really don’t want to run into them.
And the large man who looked like a ronin…
The Yamamoto with an X-shaped scar on his face also shouted, “Hey! Don’t run away! You’re fleeing even though you know I’m Yamamoto, the EOD killer?! Submit quietly!” and went into Shinomori…
The remaining adventurer-looking people were left dumbfounded.
We approached them casually and called out. [Invisibility] conveniently deactivates when you initiate conversation.
“Hello there,” I said.
“Oh, uh, hello,” one of them replied.
“Looks like you were hassled by some weird people?”
My words seemed to snap them back to reality, and they eagerly responded, “Yes! That’s right!”
Their enthusiasm made us take a step back.
They were surprisingly energetic.
“We were about to go gather materials in Shinomori when these guys calling themselves the Night Demon Burners suddenly said this was their territory and told us to leave! We were shocked when they surrounded and threatened us!”
“Isn’t the Night Demon Burners that group that’s been causing trouble near Second recently? I hadn’t heard they were based in Shinomori!”
“They’re notorious for surrounding adventurers and robbing them of money and equipment! What should we do, cancel the quest…?”
“Seems like some bad guys have nested there,” I commented.
It’s incredibly stupid to cause trouble so close to town.
And they keep throwing around the name Yamamoto too much.
I really wish they wouldn’t use the name Yamamoto for evil deeds!
It feels like I’m being blamed one-sidedly, and it doesn’t feel good at all!
Oblivious to my discomfort, one of the adventurers continued:
“I’ve heard rumors that the knights are starting to move. They’ll probably be wiped out soon, so maybe we should wait and come back later?”
“But when will that be?!”
Are these knights the royal army under the influence of the Second Prince?
And they’re coming to Second…
Wow. The future looks bleak.
“Do you know when these knights are coming?” I asked.
“No idea. We’ve only heard rumors, so we don’t even know if they’re really mobilizing.”
So they might not come at all.
Yeah. I hope they don’t come.
…
I feel like I just raised a huge flag, but let’s ignore that!
“Anyway, it seems Shinomori is currently occupied by the Night Demon Burners and dangerous, so it’s better not to enter,” one of the adventurers advised.
“But that ronin-like person went in, didn’t he?” I pointed out.
“Come to think of it… He was also calling himself Yamamoto… Well, he seemed like a weird guy, so he probably didn’t understand the situation…”
“Then we should stop him, right?”
“Huh? Stop…?”
“Well then, we’ll be going now~”
We waved lightly and tried to enter the bamboo forest, but the adventurer party quickly moved to block our path.
Ah, we’ve been surrounded! That kind of situation.
“Hey, were you listening?! The Night Demon Burners are in the bamboo forest, and it’s dangerous!”
“But if that’s the case, isn’t that ronin person in danger too?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“It’ll be fine. We’ll just call out to them, and they’ll quickly disperse.”
“Please be careful, okay? The Night Demon Burners are dangerous people. There’s no telling what they might do to a frail-looking woman like you. If you think it’s dangerous, run away immediately. Even if that man ends up in a terrible situation as a result, it won’t be your fault.”
Huh.
Sometimes there are decent human players too, I guess.
It’s quite refreshing, actually. I’ve encountered so many awful people since coming to this continent that I’ve started viewing all human players with suspicion.
I especially appreciate that they called me frail-looking.
Right?
“God… frail…?” Tuna muttered, dumbfounded.
Hey, what’s with that stunned expression, Tsuna?
Didn’t you say I looked like a sheltered young lady too?
Was that a lie?!
I cleared my throat and responded in a cheerful voice to avoid worrying them.
“Thanks for your concern. I’ll be sure to know when to retreat. Well then, have a good LIA life!”
“Oh, uh… Really, be careful, okay? Have a good LIA life…”
See? They even returned the greeting. There are good players among humans too~
And so, with a pleased expression, we slipped into the bamboo forest.
Once we were out of sight of the adventurers watching us from behind, Tsuna spoke up.
“So, Yamamoto vs. Yamamoto vs. Yamamoto, huh? I wonder which Yamamoto will win?”
Hey, there’s only one real Yamamoto, you know?
The other Yamamotos are all fake Yamamotos (?), so please don’t lump them together.
“Well, in the end, Yamamoto will win, I suppose…”
Which Yamamoto are you talking about!?
It’s me, right?! You’re talking about me, right?!
“It’s shaping up to be quite an interesting conflict. Don’t you think so, God?”
Calling me God at this point doesn’t help break the Yamamoto deadlock! Is that okay?
But well, if there’s one thing I can say for certain…
“I wish people wouldn’t play around with my name.”
“Sorry about that.”
As I made Tsuna apologize, we continued deeper into the bamboo forest.