172 - - The Hunter

The black mystiff stopped attacking as soon as Paltin's name was mentioned.

"You, how do you know Master Paltin?"

Although he has stopped attacking, he continues to move slowly to his advantageous position and does not let his guard down.

"Would it be quicker to call Reno?"

"Wouldn't it be faster to call the Golden Dragon?　If they hear that Mistiff is there, they'll come out in droves."

I have a feeling that would cause quite a stir.

What are you whispering about?

Wait. What's the hurry?

With all the Gentiles wandering around, I have a feeling that Partin's appearance would be nothing but a minefield, so I'll send an e-mail to Reno. I used the ring given to me by Pertin for the first time, since he asked me to use the ring.

I tell him Reno's name with the ring in mind, and a light like a haze of rain floods from the ring, and it takes on a human shape. I had expected it to come flying out of nowhere like a bullet, but it seems I was wrong.

It's been a long time.

"Hmm, Leno."

Finally, the Black Mistiff lets his guard down.

"I'm sorry, but I need your help. We have pursuers."

Saying this, the Black Mistiff falls down on the ground. As he falls, his body shrinks to the size of a normal mystiff.

"Well, can I recover from this?"

He seemed to have reached his limit and fell down with a line like "I'll leave the rest to you," but I didn't know if I should wake him up.

"Please, but he has a hard time with magic, so it might be a relief.

"Is that another attribute of the evil?"

For the time being, I clean "his" dirt with [Life Magic] <. The result is shown without any problem.

"Yes. He has lost most of his abilities as a mystic, but he seems to have retained the ability to change size at will. He must have shrunk to make it easier for me to carry him."

"The black one seems to be quite a challenge."

Reno is calling for the other Mysphets, who are probably not as fluffy as the normal Mysphets because of their short fur, but they must be soft to the touch. Come to think of it, this black Myspiff's fur is long, though it is tangled into a ball on the belly and the fur on the back is as bristly as a wire. It would have been a waste of a parting, a sinful parting.

I wrap the black mystiff in a new towel so that I don't touch it, taking into consideration that I don't want the human (temporarily) (I) to touch it and smell it.

"Can you take care of him?　I hear there are pursuers, so it's not good to have my hands full, and neither I nor Master Partin can recover him."

Two animals are carried on each shoulder by Reno. Soft-looking mystiffs clinging to each other, almost slipping off due to the narrow space. They are actually [floating], so they may not fall off even in unstable places, but they are so cute snuggled up together.

"Mr. White, you can stick together more, can't you?"

"Stop being an idiot and watch out for your surroundings!"

He bent me over backward with his hind legs.

"You said something about pursuers, I'm always on [presence detection], but Myspiff doesn't fall for it."

"We have been targeted so many times that we are used to hiding."

I will report to Master Partin on his behalf and take these mystics to the island."

Come to think of it, the Black Mistiff has been searching for the remaining Mistiffs in various places and bringing them back to Paltin since he was unable to return home.

"Aside from the pursuers, one of my friends approaches me. Not a particularly menacing guy who would shear your hair if you talked to him. ......"

White is back again, didn't like the hair clippings?

"I don't want to drag you into this, so I'm going. If he is so wounded, his pursuers are probably the hunters of Elan. It is already known that Master Partin is protecting Mistiff, so it may be more of an ambush than a chase."

"Need some help?"

"Thank you very much. But even if we had two handfuls of humans, we wouldn't be late. It's a little depressing. ......"

You are very rude, Mr. Reno, but I guess it is true that you are very good at what you do. He and Kal defeated Fel Fasi in the labyrinth, and he easily beat a level 50+ on Alice's Island. And he doesn't want me to follow him, I guess he intends to kill the clan of Elan if he meets them. I had intended to do so, but he seemed to have been put off by my intentions.

Please take care of him.

"Yes, sir."

I put my equipment back on and put the black mystiff in my pocket with a towel. I felt a little bit of a lump in my stomach, but I didn't care. and he recovers a few more times.

"Homura, what's out there?　There was a strange feeling in the air."

It was Peter who came. I hadn't noticed any sign of Mistiff, but he seemed to have figured it out. He seems to have a higher level of skill than "sense of presence.

"Yeah, he's not a cavalryman, but I ran into someone I know."

"I see. It was a strange sign for a cavalryman, and if it had been any other battle, I would have thought about breaking in."

A man with a ninja look, his face hidden by recognition-blocking equipment, ready to break in.

"By the way, what's that white thing?"

"...... Mr. White or?"

"Mwah."

White is flustered. You're leaving it visible, aren't you?

"This is my summoner, . I didn't want to tell you this to prevent you from pretending to be one, I'm sorry."

You call me a misanthrope, a misanthrope!

"It's true, Leo doesn't seem to know how to handle it, and Kikuhime is likely to join in, so he'll be able to fluff up whenever he gets a chance."

"Let's give Leo the satisfaction of an Alfa Romeo."

"Through and through?

My fluff is mine, and other people's fluff is mine. I'll let you blow my Alfa Romeo later.

"By the way, there are five more signs approaching. They're fast, but are they human?"

"You have a wide range of detection. Yeah, it's in my range now. It's a humanoid with a bow.

How do you even know what they're wearing?

"I only know what they look like, so I have no idea about unknown demons and such, but I can easily identify equipment for the humanoid form."

I can tell as long as I can touch it with a string. However, I have to be aware of places where there are many obstacles, such as in the forest, or I still can't make the string fly properly. Now that we are standing still, our search area is expanding.

"Understood. Peter, I have an idea of the group that might be coming, but would you stay away from them because I might be in danger?"

"Are they strong?　Do you want to join the fight?"

"No. Am I a danger to you?　Yeah, don't come back. When I give you the signal, will you close your eyes and cover your nose?"

"Nose. You can't even breathe?"

"Can't you smell it?"

I was tempted to say to myself, "I hope he doesn't turn into a skunk or a stinkbug.

"What about your ears?"

"Not even your voice."

White Judge Black.

Cover it up.

Okay, I'm in the shadows. --Here they come.

Five chocolate-skinned men emerge from the trees, three men and two women. They are armed with bows and short swords. They were armed with bows and short swords, and short but thick blades like machetes with rounded ends. They were holding them without blades in their hands, as if they had been running while clearing branches. Peter disappears into my shadow on the ground, blending in with me from the tips of his toes. I am steadily gathering ninja skills.

"Stop."

The leader of the group, a man in a fur cloak, raises his hand lightly to stop the others.

"That man there, on your back, is Mistiff, isn't he?"

"--Yes, that's right."

<

<

It's a very shrewd fluffer.

"Give me the mystiff. I'll pay you some money for it."

A man who looks at you and smiles viciously with a toothy grin.

"No."

Then I'll take your life as well as my own."

The man raises his hand again to signal, and the four silent men ready their bows in unison. Like hunters, they signaled noiselessly, and their movements were quiet as they readied their bows.

Well, I signaled with my back hand, too.

"I refuse that too."

Seal broken .

"N......nnn!"

The five of them collapse in a heap. The way they look at me with vacant eyes is quite creepy. Is this what happens when you get hit by a power-up [kyokoku]? Be careful when you face Kuzunoha.

"What is your name?"

"Ough of Elan."

"Aura."

"Elm."

"Targ."

"Haval."

The leaders are male, female, female, male, male. Perhaps it is the order of power in the order of their names. The female leader is a female warrior with supple muscles. When I asked the five who had stopped moving and were in a daze, they gave me an answer more honestly than I had expected.

"Is it for money that you are collecting mystifs?"

Yes, we were forced to leave our land, and we need money to survive.

Aura answered.

"I offer my mystif to Master Aldvaan for his protection."

<>

White reacts to the name Aldvaan.

>

"Life for protection, pelt for gold."

"It ends today. It is my wish that when you find Myssiff, you bring him back to Parthin alive."

"...... as you wish."

"Go."

He brushes them off with his hand, and they stagger back the way they came.

"...... is that a return to sanity?"

<

He waits for a while, then reseals the [inclination] and calls out to the shadow. Incidentally, it is said that in the shadow, you can see the scene that the owner of the shadow sees, as if you were watching an image, but you cannot hear his voice, it is an isolated space. The shadows of objects that do not have vision, such as the shadows of trees, do not even have images. When calling out to those in the shadows, they poke the shadows with the tip of their toes or walking sticks.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, but what was that?"

Peter comes out of the shadow and asks. Well, I'm sure he's curious.

"They say he's a hunter after a furry white fellow called Mistyph. Mistiff, who was being chased, was taken to Partin by Leno, who is staying at the general store."

"Ah, so it's that dragonet we met. But still, wouldn't it have been easier to keep his mouth shut?"

"I think it's for the best this time. Thank God it was Peter who came.

"How did you do it?"

"I put the on it."

"Busted. He's got that weird skill again.

"It's a title out of control, this one."

"You're going to trigger it no matter who you are."

I've got a seal on me.

"If you're [fascinated], you're going to be a stalker. ......,Oh, so it's a good thing it's me."

"Well, neither Peter nor I have much of a reputation, and we're good at hiding, aren't we?"

This time, I was in the shadows, so I wasn't even seen.

Ochazuke has a store, and Kikuhime has a wide circle of friends. Leo is conspicuous by his fishing and his behavior, and Shin has been seen at the competitions. I am sure that they will be a foothold in your search for me and cause you trouble. Partin may be a nuisance, but she'll do what she can. Bring Mistiff, for example.

As Peter said, I would have killed them all with no repercussions if I hadn't fallen under the spell, but it's more convenient for me to concentrate on Mistiff's protection. I think Leno was trying not to show his former kindred killers, but I'm the type of person who doesn't care about anyone but my own people. You could say I switch to a game brain. I don't think I can protect them all, and I don't think I want to kill them all.

"By the way, Homura, just so you know, the golden dragon here is more like an evil dragon.

"Yes?"

"The only dragon on this continent that is called a good dragon is Narn, the blue dragon?　Pertin is not a cannibal, but he has half destroyed several cities where people he doesn't like have fled. He is not overly feared because of the rare ore found in the mountains where he roosts, and the fact that he rarely leaves his territory unless he is messed with. The occasional "good dragon" among the miners?"

"Erm, ......."

<<

>

>

White gives me a glare.

"But still, it's a 'leaning country'. Homura, you look like a last boss.

"Why?

Not only White, but even Peter!

"No, I think we're in trouble if we don't take them out now, given their abilities."

I'm harmless!　Innocent!"

"Sometimes you have to nip a danger in the bud, don't you?"

It was Peter and I who inadvertently forgot to look for the cavalry until the clan conversation resumed.