Book 4: Chapter 6

「Wahaha! I see, I see. So you two helped persuade Kimidori Gorn to come back to the house, nura! Thank you! Thank you! Hm? But for an underground human, your color is vibrant, and for a dark elf, your color is light, nu…?」

「Dear, let’s not dwell on minor details, shall we?」the auntie said.

「You’re right! Race and skin color are trivial! Wahaha!」

Kimidori Gorn’s father was, of course, a dragonewt; a large, rough-looking man. There was a brown line on his lower jaw like a pattern, and the auntie said “Isn’t he charming? Kyuu!” …Sorry, but I don’t see the “charming” at all.

The dishes lined up on the dining table were unexpectedly lavish.

80 centimeters long stewed freshwater fish, rabbit stew, and heaps of bread. …It might be rude to say this, but it’s kind of unbelievable that they can procure this much food in a devastated world.

(If I really think about it, there are many brawny, macho people here, so maybe there isn’t a shortage of food?)

I dug into my meal while thinking about that. The fish prepared with herbs was satiating and especially delicious.

「So Kimidori Gorn, returning to this house means that you decided to return to the Dragonewt Army, nu?」

「That’s not the case, nu.」

「Hm? It was none other than you who declared not to return until the research results are obtained.」

「I did…get the results, nu…」

「Oh, is that so, nura!? Show it to me then! What’s wrong, Kimidori Gorn!」

「W-Well…」

Fidgeting, Kimidori Gorn-san glanced at me.

…Right… he can’t show the kit to determine whether an egg is boiled since I displayed the method to spin the egg, after all… I’m sorry!

But it would be kind of hell if Kimidori Gorn-san demonstrated the kit to his father proudly, but the father says, “Can’t you just spin the eggs?”

「Dear, we have guests today.」

「Oh… that’s right, nu. Let’s continue this topic another time. –So you are called Reiji-kun, right, nuru? Are you going to join the Dragonewt Army?」

Twisting his bulky neck, Kimidori Papa looked at me.

「I’m sorry, I don’t really know about the Dragonewt Army.」

「Oh! I see, I see. The Dragonewt Army is a unit which protects this city and the people from foreign enemies. There are 1,000 established members, and it’s main job is to hunt monsters and bring back meat.」

I see. What does it mean to have 1,000 troops in a city of 10,000?, I wondered for a moment, but if it includes the primary method of procuring meat and guarding the city, then it makes full sense.

「We are investigating the ecology of monsters every day, repeating hypotheses and experiments, and researching to devise the optimal monster hunting method!」

I was surprised.

No way! To find people who practiced hypotheses and experiments in such a place—the so-called PDCA cycle. [1. TL/N: “PDCA (plan–do–check–adjust) is an iterative four-step management method used for continuous improvement of processes and products.”]

Are the dragonewts actually an intellectual tribe?

「Dear, why don’t you tell us about the latest hunting method?」

「Oh, that’s a good idea.」

「Umm, is that okay?」

I asked unintentionally. After all, it’s normal to think if it’s okay to tell the latest research results to people you just met for the first time.

「I don’t mind! The research that took 6 years has come to fruition last month–」

Kimidori Papa raised his fist and curled his well-developed bicep.

「That is — If you smash their heads, you can defeat most monsters!」

Wahahahaha—and he laughed greatly.

I was keeping a straight face.

Asha, what kind of face should I even make as a response? I seriously don’t know. Rather, I’m surprised that there are monsters that do not die even if you “destroy their heads”.

Speaking of which, Kimidori Gorn-san’s confident “research results” was that egg thing. So I guess it makes plenty of sense that Kimidori Papa’s result would also be something like this…

「So, do you want to join the Dragonewt Army?」

After hearing that, I don’t have the tiniest desire to do that.

「Well, actually… I don’t know how long we’ll be in town.」

「Hmm. There is no other place to go even if you leave town. Do you want to live alone in an unexplored region, nu? A quiet life with just your loved one, huh! It is a man’s dream indeed! Wahahaha!」

Kimidori Papa, please stop. Asha is turning bright red and looking down.

「U-Um! We are not in that kind of relationship.」I said.

Eh? Asha is turning away with a displeased look… Why?

「You’re getting out of control, dear.」the auntie said.

「I’m sorry! I made a mistake!」

「These two are trying to take it slow, nu.」

「Oh, I see, I see…」

What do you mean “I see, I see”? You didn’t get anything.

「So you will join the Dragonewt Army, huh?」he asked again.

「I don’t think so.」

Stop being so persistent, man!

「More importantly, I’d like to ask if you are familiar with the words “Back World” and “Covenant”?」

「Hm? I don’t know about those, but there may be some who know within the Dragonewt Elder Society.」

「Dragonewt Elder Society.」

A word that sounds like a gathering of elders with wisdom!

It actually gives me hope.

「So then, where can I find the elders?」

「The elders are currently conducting research in the Dragonewt Army.」

「……Come again?」

「Dear, the concept of “research” might be difficult for an ordinary person to understand.」

「Oh, I see, I see.」

No, I understand what “research” is. I was curious about what the “elders” were doing in the “Army”.

「To summarize, the elders are on an expedition, killing monsters at the forefront of the army!」

……My hopes for the Elder society have begun to collapse.

「We found a colony of Chochoriges that we haven’t been able to catch for the last few years, nu. The expedition started because we had to hunt all of them down. It was decided that I would stay at home by the method of “Three-pronged Battle”.」

「Three-pronged Battle?」

「Correct. With a fist, an open palm, and two fingers. You start by shouting “Sansansansa’s Chichichi” and then…」

「That’s enough. I got the idea.」I said.

It’s just rock-paper-scissors!!! Why do you have to call it something grand like “Three-Pronged Battle”!

「Leaving that said, about the Chochoriges… It’s a bird, isn’t it? Is it easy to catch?」I asked.

「Correct. It’s a flightless bird, so you can easily defeat it if you surround it. The meat is delicious and the eggs are nutritious, nu. I used to eat Chochoriges every day to the point of getting sick of the taste when I was a kid, but I don’t see them anymore these days. The small flock we discovered the other day is also the first in a few months, nu.」

Kimidori Papa said he gave the eggs to Kimidori Gorn because he begged that it was for something very important, and laughed loudly.

I was struck by a terribly unpleasant hunch, however.

When I glanced at Asha, she had the same look.

「I am sorry to say this after meeting you for the first time, but…」

However, if I don’t say it, it wouldn’t rest easy on my consciousness.

「–the Chochoriges… aren’t they probably going extinct?」