Chapter 41: (1)
Im A Man Who Knows The Ins And Outs Of Both Men And Women
About half a month had passed since the encounter between Tanaka and the hero.
Further west than the transit town of Haburunayo. Hero Kamui and his companions were moving from town to town scattered around in the wastelands. Officially, their mission was to investigate the abnormalities near the border. However, they were in no hurry to move westward. As they moved from one town or village to another one, they aggressively made a move to subjugate the monsters in the area. The battle itself was very one-sided with them trampling down the monsters. However, there seemed to be some air of restlessness surrounding them. It was as if they were being cornered. They vaguely seemed as though they were desperate to fight.
There were two people who were tailing them, Hero Mikoto, and the great sage Merlin. Mikoto had already invited Kamui to join them. However, the response she received wasnt quite a favorable one. Since then, Kamui and his companions had been continuing to follow the plan of the Purin Kingdom. She couldnt leave Kamui, who moved according to the interests of a certain nation, alone, but nonetheless she couldnt take any drastic measures either. In the end, Mikoto decided to tail him from a certain distance.
Even right now, she was in standby behind Kamuis team, who were fighting against monsters, ready to give them aid should the need arise. What they were currently dealing with was a gigantic worm-shaped carnivore monster, Sandworm. It wasnt an uncommon creature in this region. According to the guilds standard, it was a C-ranked subjugation target.
They still seem as tense as ever, dont they? Hmm in other words, it looks like that matter wasnt a lie, huh.
Observing Kamuis team from behind, Mikoto murmured. Half a month ago, the air around Kamuis party took a sudden turn. After that, the information they received from the chit-chat as they were trying to invite him to join them was unbelievable. It was, in a way, devastating to Mikoto, who understood the strength of Kamuis party more than anyone else.
Defeat. Moreover, they were defeated in a manner that could only be described as devastating. At first, she thought they were just accepting their defeat with humility. However, since then, Kamui had been radiating a hint of gloom around him. Kaltovich had also ceased her flirting with Kamui, something shed never ceased to do in the past. And then there was Tetsujin, who was as expressionless as ever, but seemed to be at her wits end. These aftereffects on them made her realize something. That the story of their defeat was a real one.
Looking at their states, it seems like the opponent wasnt something that could be dealt with even if we were to join hands with them. Geez just what kind of monster theyd picked a fight with, I wonder?
The Witch of Abyss. If we can borrow her power, then perhaps..
The Witch of Abyss? Who in the world is she? Will she be able to do something about this matter?
The Witch of Abyss Its a lineage of witches that dates back to the age of creation. Its said that her power has been passed down only to those possessing befitting talent since then. Im sure that even I, the one who is hailed as the great sage, stands no chance against the witch of abyss. Power accumulated over thousands of years. I believe its by no means inferior to those of spirits or Gods, but
Marlin showed no confidence in his own answer. Mikoto asked without hesitation.
Theres some sort of problem with this option?
Yeah, I heard that the witch of abyss was bestowed with a certain duty by God of Creation Its said that said duty was the demise of the world. So given the ominousness of the duty, they tend to be avoided. Well, even if they are dangerous, we cant really get rid of them since they are related to the creator god, after all. In the end, she concealed her existence and has been living in seclusion ever since.
I see while there doesnt seem to be any problem power-wise, if the matter about the demise of the world were true, we cant really rely on her power, huh. Should we ask for her help, itd be no laughing matter if she used that chance to make her move and destroy the world instead, after all.
Well, thats a relief to hear. I actually caught a glimpse of her once when I was still a newbie. And you know what? She was so beautiful that I couldnt believe she was actually a denizen of this world. I dearly wished to meet her again and get close to her while Im at it, but Im sure shes turned into a properly aged lady by now. So I dont feel like going through the trouble to look for her.
She shot a lukewarm gaze at the great sage who had already acted in his usual manner again. Hero Mikotos hardships didnt seem to be ceasing anywhere in the near future.