153 - - mysterious collective ritual

"I'm not here to climb a hill. ......"

Fifteen minutes.

After the fifth time, she shook her head, and looking up the aisle, Rummella let out a sigh of exasperation and a question that sounded like a complaint.

"Just pull me out of here, Rah-ne-chan!"

Moe overheard this and rushed behind us in a disgruntled voice.

He had laughed too much on the flying dragon boat, and his voice was a little hoarse.

"That's why you call me that. I'm not your sister. You should call me Ms. Ram.

"Ra-chan?"

"Mr. Ram!"

"La, la ...... la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la. Oh, my God, they're all gone!　Come on, come on, come on!"

"I don't feel like a horse any more. ......"

Exhaling deeply again, Rummella reluctantly pulled the cord around her waist and began to climb the ramp.

The sled they told me I would know it when I saw it in use, but I never thought I would find out for myself.

It is true that a child of five or six years old can easily move the sled without touching the ground.

However, from the point of view of the person who is pulling the sled, this situation of being forced to play the role of a horse is a rather humiliating one.

Why do I have to pull a child's sled?

"Because the only one who seems to be free is Rah-ne-chan..."

As Mu pointed out, Thor is carrying a sleeping bag and other belongings, while Sola is carrying a bag of food on her back.

This is not easy for Straccia, who needs to move light as a vanguard, or for Yuril, who is already a little out of breath.

Rummella was convinced that she was the only option left.

But the child was so energetic that she couldn't help but get angry and retort.

"Then why don't you walk by yourself?

"You'll be in trouble later if you let him do that!"

"You're overreacting. What's going to happen?　

"Moo has to do a little flop when he gets hold of me. Then you'll have to give him a piggyback ride.

"Well, that won't be a problem if I'm around."

"Are you a professional piggyback rider, Ra-ne-chan?

"No, I'm not!　I'm saying I can get you back on your feet."

Oh, here we are. Come on, come on, come on!

We seem to have reached the ground as we speak.

Thor and his friends were already waiting for us.

Impatiently listening to the bouncy voice of the child, Rummella activates the magic of the protective bubble without even a moment to catch her breath.

She let go of the sled's cord as she finished chanting, and Moe, who could not wait to see her, kicked the ground and ran out of the house.

"See you later!"

At once, Moo slides down the pitch-black passageway.

He is not afraid at all, apparently, since he is a purple-eyed man.

The Soukei girl lets out another deep breath as the child cheerfully disappears into the depths of the darkness.

I know that Thor has been repeatedly moving back and forth with some kind of intention since a while ago.

However, looking at the child's excited appearance, I can't deny the possibility that she might be a parental idiot.

To begin with, an adventurer of the Kongo class is in a position where many people hang their heads.

Even in a single city, they act as the top adventurers and are seen as such by those around them.

Wherever we go, we are admired and respected.

It was only natural, and at the same time, I was proud of having fought on the front lines and protected them.

I should have been, but for some reason, I am now forced to accompany children on their sledding games.

He would have told us if we had asked him why, but Rummella had been strongly disciplined not to waste time explaining things to the captain, and that was difficult to do.　

After the sixth intrusion, Thor finally seemed to be convinced.

He touches Yuril in a friendly manner and nods his head meaningfully.

It seemed as if they were finally going to leave, but things were not going to be that easy.

"Sola, Moe, come here for a minute."

"Yes, sir."

"What's up?　Tor-chan. Is that Moe's phone?

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting. Here's the one you wanted at last."

After that, for some reason, everyone except Yuril was touched by Thor, while Sora, who was attached to Moo, peered at us closely, and then used a magical technique that we did not understand.

"Are you sure, Thor-chan?"

"Mine can wait. I need to make some money first. Can I talk to you for a second?

"Yes, how can I help you?"

The blush on her cheeks has barely left her cheeks when she is called out in a sullen voice and Rummella hurriedly replies.

"I need you to show me the way."

Then, the second one from the right first.

No, it's not the right road. You have to start from the dead end."

What?

I'll kill all the ants in this layer. Every last one of them."

Rummella stared back at Thor, who had just carelessly lowered a backpack full of sleeping bags onto the ground.

The sweep of the ants began on the northern side of the camp.

The ants with their amber shells fell to the ground one after another as Straccia, manipulating her two black blades, fell to the ground.

Thor was no match for the ants, wielding his short sword and machete at an elusive speed.

The rare bouncing of sticky monster bodily fluids are mysteriously bounced away by the purple electric shocks that are generated just before they reach the ants' bodies.

Even ants that are supposed to be in your blind spot are somehow slaughtered without jumping at you, but instead remain still.

Or they flap around, fall asleep, and stop moving all together.

For Rummella, who had only heard of the threat of ice users through hearsay, it was an unbelievable sight.

As the ants disappeared from the four corridors, Sola, who had been standing back, suddenly shouted out.

"Oh, I've accumulated!　Wow, you've already earned a thousand points."

"Oh, well, let's swing back."

"Hey, I'm at level 5!"

"Well, I guess I'll have mine turned over too. I'll have you turn mine over to me, then.

The three of them repeat the same mysterious ritual.

Thor, looking refreshed, scratches the bottom of his chin and announces his next course of action.

"All right, let's get back to the starting point. We'll take a break there.

At the bottom of the ramp, Sola unpacks her bags and begins to prepare tea.

There, for the first time, Rummella witnessed the girl's endless misuse of the rain-crystal stone.

She questions Sola, who generously squeezes the water out of the crystals, in a tone of voice that is beyond surprise and dismayed.

"What are you doing ....... What are you going to do if it breaks?"

"I'll be fine. Thor will fix it for you."

"You're already absurd. ......"

I thought I had surprised you enough last time, but I guess I hadn't reached the bottom yet.

While the water boils on the heating board, the girl sits down on a sleeping bag spread out on the ground and looks at the steam with a feeling of weakness.

It is the first time for Rummella to feel so out of it in such a dangerous place.

The children who have been walking around her for a while now, tugging at her clothes and touching the scales on her neck, are tolerable compared to the exhaustion she has experienced so far.

Thor stood up after confirming that the group had finished their tea, and suddenly urged them to leave.

"All right, let's go.

"Where to next?"

Grinning, Thor pointed out the ramp that we had been up and down many times today.

"Why?