Chapter 101: To move forward or to retreat?

As I was sent flying, while turning upside down, confirming Haru’s safety came first.

Instead of getting flung into the air, it seemed like Haru leaped into the air on her own to avoid it so it looked like she wasn’t hurt.

Suzuki … was like me, checking that Haru and I were safe.

While upside down, I ordered Haru.

“Haru, can you destroy the wooden stick that Centaur is chasing after!”

“Jofre-san is in the way so ― ”

“Oi Jofre! Break the stick above Centaur!”

Perhaps my voice reached him, Jofre unsheathed his sword and cut the wooden stick.

As the carrot fell to the ground and Centaur ate it, the runaway train or rather, the runaway donkey finally stopped.

It seemed like I was about to fall on my head so I balled myself up to fall down safely.

I was surprised that my body didn’t hurt at all.

“Ha, we survived … Eh? Why is Jo here?” (TL: They nicknamed Ichinojo as Jo.)

“It’s been a long time Jo! Are you taking a stroll?”

Jofre finally noticed my presence.

Elise, nobody will ever take a stroll at a place like this.

“Brother, please wait!”

“Milky, strengthen the barrier more! Monsters are coming from behind!”

” ― This is my limit … leaving that aside.”

From the same direction that Jofre and Elise came from, two boys and one girl about the age of high school students came running.

The black-haired boy was carrying a large amount of golden wool for some reason.

The girl who was running the furthest behind seemed to have noticed me first.

I guess those people were the ones Suzuki said where with Jofre.

The girl who was maintaining the barrier the furthest behind must definitely be the niece of the Cat-user man.

… She’s a pretty cute girl.

“Leaving that aside, two new men … fufu, fufufufufufu.”

Scary!

What’s with her? That girl burst out laughing when she saw me and Suzuki.

“You all are Milky-san, Julio-kun and Sutchino-kun right? I came to help due to Milky-san’s uncle’s request.”

Suzuki gave a refreshing smile to reassure the three of them.

It can’t be helped with the current situation but if it was during normal times, it was a refreshing smile that made me want to strike him from behind.

“By the way, Jofre, what happened exactly? Don’t tell me you guys are the reason why the monsters are appearing?”

“It wasn’t us. I don’t know what exactly but the Korat agents did something like 『Gaban』 and 『Dogan』.” (TL: Those are onomatopoeia.)

… I don’t really understand but if I remember correctly, Korat is the enemy of Dakyat.

“I’ll explain.”

Milky stepped forward.

Eh? Even though she wasn’t injured just awhile ago,

“Are you alright? Your nose is bleeding.”

Suzuki examined Milky’s face.

“She’s fine. That is something like an illness of hers. Right, Julio.”

“Yeah, an illness. It’s not due to an injury.”

Sutchino and Julio nodded to each other.

A … sickly girl?

Looking at Milky profuse nosebleed, my intuition told me that it was a bad illness in another meaning.

“The Korat agents performed a ceremony at the Goddess statue and I believe it probably altered the Goddess statue’s function of collecting and purifying miasma into creating monsters from the accumulated miasma.”

Even though she was explaining with a bleeding nose, we finally found out the reason for the emergence of the monsters.

“Do you know of any method to stop the emergence of the monsters?”

“I might be able to think of a solution if I investigate it but …”

Milky said but her words didn’t have any drive behind it.

Julio and Sutchino looked pretty tired too.

“Kusunoki-kun, they have been trapped in the labyrinth for days. They should be terribly tired. Let’s talk after we leave this place.”

“That’s true, it would be impossible for any ordinary human to be fine after spending a couple of days here.”

Haru who was a step behind us and did not participate in the conversation stepped up beside me,

“Master, then I will carry Milky-san.”

“Alright, the men will have to run on their own.”

It’s by no means impossible but I can’t take them along until the Goddess statue.

“Jo, I’m fine though?”

“Jo, I’m fine too?”

You two are probably not standard humans though.

“We’ll be running until we escape to the outside okay!”

I proposed that ― but,

“Please wait a moment!”

An unexpected person called out.

It was Sutchino who was shouldering the golden wool.

“You guys were able to come here so you’re strong right? Then let’s go to the Goddess statue!”

” … I don’t mind but will you guys be alright?”

“Of course.”

Julio looked like he wanted to say something after I asked but Sutchino interrupted him and nodded grandly.

This Sutchino guy has quite a strong sense of justice.

Since he was carrying golden wool on his back, I thought for sure that he was quite a considerable miser who would definitely not leave behind anything of monetary value.

“You guys act as our witness too! Our task is to place a certain object in front of the Goddess statue. If we don’t do that, we won’t be able to get our reward.”

“Oi Sutchino! A task like that, isn’t it fine to just toss it there appropriately!”

Julio said angrily.

“No Julio! These people are fairly strong. Since that is the case, if we properly place it in front of the Goddess statue, the client will also be convinced if we get these people to attest to it!”

… I stand corrected, he’s quite a considerable miser.

However, is it really alright?

“Would you all be fine?”

Milky and Julio seemed to me like they were quite tired.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Because I will be able to go anywhere as long as I am together with Elise.”

“Me too, I can go anywhere as long as I am with Jofre.”

“Elise.”

“Jofre.”

Towards Jofre and Elise who were hugging each other,

“I’m not asking you guys!”

I sent a 「Slash」 flying towards the gap between the two of them.

And ― all Centaur was doing was biting and pulling on the item bag Jofre had to get more carrots.