144-Episode 144 Arrived! Earth of corrosion

Liliella.

We were heading to the corroded land to gather materials for Princess Aydra's golem making.

Since all of us can use flying magic, we decided to fly together instead of using a slow carriage that would only cost us money.

By the way, I'll be the first one to fly, in order to set the pace for the whole group.

It's obvious that Lex-san is flying too fast, and Gyro-kun is flying too fast and will run out of magic power in the middle of the race.

Mina is also better at handling magic than us, so it's up to me, a warrior, to set the pace.

Also, I'm the one who looked up the path to our destination.

''The Corrosive Land is about two weeks south of King's Landing by carriage, or about half that for flying magic.

Well, you know a lot about this, Miss Liliella.

Jairo-kun said as if he was impressed, but as a senior, I have to say something.

''If you apply for the use of the archives at the reception desk of the Adventurer's Guild, this level of information can easily be gathered.

That's right, an adventurer who uses himself as a weapon should not be without information gathering.

It's not unusual for a party to have a professional colleague who specializes in information gathering, but his party's information gatherer isn't here today.

We're in a separate party, so it's only natural for adventurers to prepare themselves to gather information on their own, just in case something goes wrong.

You're not experienced enough to think about it.

I'm not good at reading books.

Since Megri has left the party, it's only right that you, the leader, should be the one to gather the information. You're not illiterate, are you?

Oh, oh! I can read it right!

We've done a good job of teaching you that part. If you're going to be a leader, you're going to need to be able to read and write at least once.

Mina's words are correct.

It's not uncommon for adventurers to have many rogues and outcasts who can't read and write.

And there are certainly some clients who cheat adventurers who can't read and write.

It's not uncommon for them to make up reasons to have you write an unfair contract, or to give you different information about a target to be defeated from what you say in the request form.

Of course, a client who repeats such a thing will be put on the guild's blacklist and will not be able to place a request.

You never know what will happen in a place you've never seen before. From now on, you should do your own research. This is my advice to you as a senior adventurer.

"Okay, okay...

Okay, Miss Liliella!

And for some reason, Lex-san replied back cheerfully.

''Well Lex-san I don't think you need to pay too much attention.

'What?　Why?　I'm also a classmate of Jairo and the others, junior to Liliera-san, right?

Well, yeah....

In Lex-san's case, any unexpected problems seem to be solved by sheer force....

You're not going to be able to do that.

I see a sighting... Aye, I see a sighting... Is that the Corroded Earth?

The morning of the fifth day.

As we stopped for lodging at towns and villages along the way, we noticed that we could see the purple-tinted earth from beyond the horizon.

''That was surprisingly fast. I knew it was fast because with flight magic, we could ignore the obstacles and move forward.''

'But it's early for that. It's only day five, okay?

Two days earlier than planned is a bit of a worry.

We're just going too fast, aren't we? We're flying in, okay?

'Hmmm, but I chose a route where I could check the city streets at all times so that I wouldn't miss my destination, and flew over. So it's not exactly the shortest distance. To begin with, five days is too early for even a week, but five days is way too early...

But we're here. How's that for a change?

'Ummm...'

According to the guild, it's not supposed to happen yet.

'But that venomous colour is no ordinary land. If that's the case, isn't it the land of the corruption you were talking about?

Mina's right, it certainly doesn't look like a normal place...

'Then let's get the hell out of here!　And then, let's get the ingredients for the golem, in a flash!　Then that guy from Megri won't have to be a shadow warrior either!

Huh?

Oh, yeah. It's more important to him.

All right. It's true, you can't blame him if he arrives too early.

'Heh, that's what I'm talking about!　Let's go then!

Wait a minute!

''Whoa!''

Just as Gyro-kun was about to jump out towards the corroded earth, Lex-san stopped him.

''What's the matter with you all of a sudden, bro!

'I'm sorry, Gyro-kun. But we all need to equip this thing before we can enter the Land of Corrosion.

""Equipment?"

Saying that, Lex held out three necklaces to me.

'Lex-san, what are these?'

I don't think it's just a necklace since Mr. Lexx got it for me, but....

This is a poisonous necklace. With it, you can counteract all the weak poisons.

"[T]he antivenom necklace?

What?　What's that?　A poisoner?

It's the same one I gave to Miss Leune in Dragonia.

Oh, come to think of it, I don't think I ever gave him anything like that...

At that time, all I could think about was declining the position of the Dragon Princess.......

But it's not such a powerful piece of equipment, so just think of it as a low-grade universal poisonous eraser that doesn't drink.

It's not even a 'degree' anymore!

The lower level All-Purpose Poison Eradication Potion was great enough, but now they're popping out magic items that have the same effect, and that's weird!

What do you think?

''When in the world did you come up with this...''

'I prepared it for you the night we decided to go to the Corrosive Land.

"I made a magic item to make a lunchbox for you!

...No, no, I knew Lex-san was a hell of a lot of things, but it's still too broad a range of things you can do...

Rather, what can't this guy do?

''How can you make a magic item for a poison remover.......how can you incorporate a magic formula into such a small necklace?!

Oh, and Mina is depressed.

Ooh!　You're the man to make this stuff!　My brother is awesome after all!

The non-wizard Gyro is innocently happy, but that thing you're so excitedly waving around is probably worth 3,000 gold coins.　No, maybe more than that...

Hey, whatever, let's get the hell out of here!

As I was thinking about this, Gyro-kun couldn't wait to rush us.

''Oh, sorry. Let's go then.

Yeah!

Yeah. We're already here early. We've got a lot of material to collect!

We put the poisonous magic item around our necks and descend into the land of corrosion.

Huh, if it comes to this, we'll just have to accept that we've been provided with a useful item.

◆

It's even creepier up close.

As we descended close to the ground, a detailed view of the Corroded Earth came into view.

The Corroded Earth is called the earth for a reason, but it's actually a swamp.

It's also a purple, obviously poisonous swamp.

The surface of the swamp is filled with big bubbles popping up and down.

It stinks.

Gyro-kun was right, the air of the corroded earth was filled with an indescribable odor.

''........This......this, the poisonous air that came out of the swamp is filling the surroundings.

Poisonous air?

Yeah, I think just breathing this air is bad for you. Well, it seems to be a weak poison, so this anti-poisoning necklace is all that's left.

I'm so glad you got that magic item for me.

Strongly agree.

Isn't this the kind of thing that could have killed us without us even knowing it?

'I read in the documents that the Corroded Earth can't stay for long periods of time, but it was the poisonous air that did it.

This may be a more dangerous place than we thought.

It's indeed a dangerous area that only the best people are allowed to enter...

Watch out!

What?

That's when it happened.

All of a sudden, I thought Lex yelled, and then something jumped at me from the swamp.

'Huh!'

Lex-san's sword protects me, who suddenly went rigid.

''Are you alright, Liliera-san!

''Huh?　Eh, yeah, I'm fine!　More importantly, what was that?!

The thing.

When Lex-san urged me to look at the swamp, I see the identity of the thing that attacked me there.

''Is that........a demon?''

Yes, what was there was the figure of a demon that had been cut in half by Lex-san's sword.

The demon had a centipede-like appearance, but its size was incomparably larger than an ordinary centipede.

''It's a Giant Poison Centipede. Apparently it makes its home in this poisonous swamp.

"Is this the one in the swamp?

I was completely caught off guard.

If I'd just waded through the swamp normally, wouldn't these giant jaws have cut me in half, poison or not?

Even though you can strengthen your defense with body strengthening magic, it's not like you can activate it at all times of the day....

What if, at the end of the battle, we let our guard down and we're attacked in the water with zero visibility...

It's really good that you can use flying magic...

Unlike a normal centipede, this one can spend a lot of time in the water, so it seems to have been hiding in the swamp, waiting for its prey to come closer.

Hidden, how many demons are hiding in this swamp?

Well, it's about 2,000 big and small.

Nicely done!

Perhaps he used detection magic, but then again, 2,000 is too much!

''Even ordinary demons are outnumbered, but 2,000 poisonous demons isn't like we're here to die!

'What?　But I do have a poisonous necklace.

""Oh."

It was. We were armed with a poisonous magic item.

'Well, then...'

'I think you should just move through the swamp while flying through the air and try to fight the demons that jump out of the air and not get attacked by them.

....

Come to think of it, we can fly, can't we?

That means that as long as we can keep our altitude, we won't be afraid of poisonous demons, right?

Oh, what?　It's funny. We're supposed to have come to an S-ranked danger zone filled with us ravenous demons.

That's funny, that's how I remember it.

'Hahahaha!　Come on, you demons!　I'll burn you to a crisp in the flames of my justice!

If you look at it, Gyro-kun was provoking the demons by raising and lowering their altitude, and tearing through the demons that were lured out and jumped out of the way.

Just because you don't have to worry about getting poisoned doesn't mean you're so lively.

''Um, do we do that too?''

Uh-huh. Yeah.

After regaining our composure, we also decided to participate in the extermination of the demons.

◆

But then again, it's a pain in the ass to collect all the demons we killed.

When I was defeating the demons, Jairo-kun said something like that.

''Huh?　Why?

Because it's a swamp down there and if it's not, it'll sink.　So you'll have to go get it right away or you'll have to dive into the swamp. Even if the poison doesn't work on this thing, it's not like I'm going to be covered in poison.

Oh, I certainly know what you mean.

'Then why don't you put the demon in a magic bag in the air before it falls into the swamp?　Then you don't have to worry about the toxic swamp, do you?

Rex-san, as if it were a matter of course, cut the demon in half and put it into a magic bag in the air.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it's a bit of a hurdle, brother........

It's easy once you get the hang of it.

No, no, I don't think that's possible for me either. See, Mina nodded.

'Right, well, let's cleanse the swamp then.

""What?"

We couldn't help but ask back at Lex's strange statement.

'Full Clean Purification!'

""Heh?"

Suddenly, as if Lex-san had activated his magic, the surroundings were enveloped in light.

''Eh?　What?　What?

I braced myself for what on earth I had done, but the light quickly subsided.

'Hey, what did you do Lex........'

''Ahhhh!?''

Just as he was about to ask what he had done, Mina's shout rang out.

''What now!

'Nuh, swamp!　Swamp!

What?　What's wrong with the swamp?

When I looked at the ground at Mina's words, what I saw there was a plain, ordinary ground.

What is really normal ground and what is surprising........that?

It's funny. We're supposed to be on the ground of corrosion now.

And I see normal ground...?

'Huh?　Where's the swamp?

Yes, Gyro, you're right, there is no swamp.

The swamp of corrosion that was supposed to be there was gone.

"Lelekh, Mr. Lex?　What the hell did you do?

I mobilized all the calm in me and asked Lex-san a question.

Because this situation should have something to do with Lex-san who activated the magic.

'Yes!　I figured if it's too much trouble for the material to sink into a poisonous swamp, we could purify the poison and turn it into normal soil!　So I used a little wide-area purification magic to cleanse the nearby poisonous swamp and turn it into normal ground! 　The range is only in this vicinity, but I don't have to worry about the material sinking in this one!

'Oh!　That's my brother!　I mean, this is the magic you used to clean up the ditch!

Cleaning dumps?　What magic did you use to clean the gutter?

Oh, yeah, you remembered it well, gyro.

"Heh, that's not exactly the kind of dope cleaning I'd forget to do, like taking down a dark blob.

Clean out the dope, Dark Blob?　What happened to all that dope sweeping?

"Heh, the ground's all solid, no need to worry about footholds, and we won't have to worry about poisoning anything!　That's awesome, bro!

No, no, no, that's too kind of a compliment, Mr. Gyro.

Jairo-kun gives Lex-san a respectful look, and Lex-san has a look on her face that says she has done a good job with Lex-san.

I mean, I mean........is it okay for a poisonous swamp that could become a dangerous area to be cleansed by the magic you use to snatch up dope?

Oh, look, Mr. Gyro!　A demon lurking in the swamp, half-buried and fixed!　Here's your chance!

'Oh!　Seriously!　........but why are those guys only half full?

'Maybe my magic startled him and he jumped out of the swamp, but before his whole body came out, the swamp was cleansed and turned to dirt.

I see. This guy's lucky!　After all, they can hardly move.

Yeah!

Hey, you two!　What are you talking about?　This is our chance!　Let's hunt them all at once!

The two of them would innocently hurry us along, but we didn't feel very much like it.

''.........''

Liliella?

Hmm?　What's the matter with you, Mina?

They noticed our condition and called out to us curiously.

Yeah, I don't know - I don't know, right?

....

....

Mina and I looked at each other and nodded at each other.

Then I turned to the two of us and shouted.

''What the hell!　You're ruining a lot of things in your ministry.

Isn't this the wrong safe zone, not the danger zone?