Akatsuki Translations

Adventurer’s Tavern

After their retreat, Ur and his companions went to have a meal. It was a time for reflection and also a strategic meeting to prepare for the next venture. They replenished their depleted energy with a large amount of food prepared especially for adventurers. Ur, in particular, consumed about 1.5 times his usual amount.

“…Delicious.” -Ur

Ur bit into piece after piece of meat. After emerging from the dungeon, he had been overwhelmed by a strong sense of hunger. The reason was clear to him. He had been poisoned and had recovered with a healing potion. His body craved energy to repair the areas damaged by the poison.

“【Phoenix’s Tears】 regenerate damage from poison, but they don’t restore the depleted physical strength.” -Ur

“Poison? Was it tough?” -Lynne              

“Deathly. Lynne is a hobbit and so small that she would die instantly if she were poisoned.” -Ur

“That’s scary.” -Lynne

Lynne, who is supposed to be a hobbit, also ate a large amount. She is now gulping down cold milk poured into a stein. Although she didn’t manage to complete the magic circle, it seems that even getting halfway through depleted her strength significantly.

『So, what triggered our retreat this time, Master? 』-Rock

“We were luring the omen bird without causing major damage, but it suddenly fled. Did something change on your end?” -Shizuku

Asked this, Lynne shook her head. She had no leeway to check her surroundings. Instead, Rock, while tossing a magic stone into his mouth, hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head.

『Just before you sent the signal to retreat, I killed a poison claw bird. Perhaps there was some kind of barrier connecting the birds, because until then, they hadn’t approached. 』-Rock

It seems that, by chance, or perhaps noticing another monster’s corpse, one bird suddenly flew towards Lynne’s direction. Rock had no choice but to kill it, and then the signal to retreat came soon after.

“So, the reason the omen bird turned back might be that…? Maybe it sensed something was wrong with its nest when one of them died and turned back.” -Ur

The Poison Omen Bird always returns to its nest, the Poison Mushroom Swamp, no matter how much it flees; it always comes back as if that place is its home. Perhaps, that swamp has a kind of territorial awareness, and it sensed something was wrong with one of its inhabitants.

“However, it’s surprising that a monster would create and protect its own territory.” -Shizuku

“It might even lay eggs there. It’s not the dungeon that produces them, but the creatures themselves that reproduce.” -Ur

“Poison Omen Birds lay eggs?” -Shizuku

“Yeah. The omen bird is female. Probably the poison claw birds are male. That’s why, when the omen bird is attacked, after a while, the poison claw birds come flying to its defense.” -Ur

There is a large community centered around the female omen bird in that swamp. If the omen bird is attacked, the poison claw birds come to defend it, and vice versa, if the poison claw birds are attacked, the omen bird comes to their aid. It’s a relationship bound by strong ties, which is extremely troublesome for Ur and his companions.

Then, hearing this information, Shizuku pondered for a moment.

“Eggs… can they be used to lead them away?” -Shizuku

“We tried that…” -Ur

“And the result?” -Shizuku

“It didn’t work. They’re dumb.” -Ur

Yes, they were dumb, which was problematic.

The omen bird lays a vast number of eggs in that poison swamp multiple times a day. Because it lays so many, it doesn’t notice if a few of its eggs go missing. It even accidentally crushes its own eggs. So, even if you use magic to hide and steal one or two eggs, it doesn’t notice.

They tried rolling an egg onto the path of the Poison Omen Bird, but it didn’t notice the egg at all and simply crushed it.

“The Poison Omen Bird only reacts sensitively when the poison claw birds are attacked.” -Ur

“I think there’s some kind of ‘connection’ between the omen bird and the poison claw birds. Because of that connection, it reacts, and the omen bird returns to its nest.” -Lynne

That’s why guiding the omen bird might be easy. After all, the place the omen bird returns to is its nest in the Poison Mushroom Swamp, and if there’s any anomaly or if it gets injured, it will race through the dungeon, shaking off its pursuers, and return there.

If we could just set up a White King formation near the swamp, all we’d have to do is provoke and guide it there.

But

“There’s a fundamental problem. The barrier can’t protect Lynne. The White King formation can’t be completed.” -Ur

A barrier alone can’t completely escape the detection of the various monsters that appear. And if even one is defeated, given the dungeon’s characteristic of not absorbing the corpses and leaving them behind, the bodies become a lure and more monsters swarm in, leading to the barrier’s collapse.

『Why don’t we simply increase the number of people to prevent the barrier from collapsing? 』-Rock

“The more people there are, the more monsters there will be. It would actually hasten the collapse of the barrier.” -Ur

There’s a reason for the limit on the number of people in the dungeon, the stimulation of monsters by the increase of humans.

A group of five is considered safe, but that’s just the bare minimum; it doesn’t mean there’s no impact. The more people there are, the higher the activation rate of the monsters. Far more monsters will appear than when it was just Rock and Lynne. It will become more difficult.

“Even if we could establish the spell, we’d probably be exhausted. And after that, we have to guide the Poison Omen Bird to the center of the spell, where there will likely be a pile of monster carcasses.” -Ur

“Will it approach?” -Shizuku

『No way, that timid bird won’t come near. 』-Rock

That Omen bird may be stupid and simple, but its animal instincts are sharp. If it senses danger, it won’t approach. If we continue to fight in the same place until Lynne’s magic is complete, a vast number of monster corpses will likely accumulate. It’s somewhat difficult to expect it to dive into that.

『Can’t you create a more perfect barrier, master? Something that more directly prevents monsters from approaching. 』-Rock

“Unfortunately, with my current skill, I can only apply up to two effects to a barrier.” -Shizuku

『What about covering it with another barrier on top? 』-Rock

“If you stack another barrier on top of one, they interfere with each other. It’s difficult.” -Shizuku

Hmmm, Rock grumbled, then turned his gaze to Lynne.

『Ur, are we really going to use this lady’s magic? 』-Rock

“I’ll kill you.” -Lynne

Lynne, who had been silently eating, punched Rock. Her hands are quick.

『Shut up. As a matter of fact, your magic is difficult to use. No complaints. 』-Rock

While receiving Lynne’s fist on his skull, Rock grumbled his grievances. Lynne’s face became gruff, and she began to throw her fist down at twice the speed of before.

『Focusing too much on one thing can lead you astray. What do you think about that? 』-Rock

To that question, Lynne glared at Ur with a fierce expression. It was overt. Her eyes seemed to say she would kill if she was excluded. Given her goals, that’s natural. Her achievements are synonymous with her objectives.

However, Ur also understood that her passion did not directly lead to results. If passion alone led to results, she would have already succeeded as an adventurer. He also fully understood that her magic was extremely finicky, and he now realized why it hadn’t seen the light of day before.

With that in mind,

“We won’t change our approach. We’ll continue to focus on her magic as the main strategy.” -Ur

『The reason? 』-Rock

“There’s one effective way to deal with the fleeing Poison Omen Bird before it escapes.” -Ur

Ur had considered Shizuku’s advanced magic, but her spells were generally on par with the power of Ur’s Dragonfang spear’s “Roar.” If Ur’s Roar couldn’t finish the bird, then her advanced magic would likely fare the same. He had hoped for an improvement in power at the academy, but

“It’s tough to produce firepower greater than advanced magic alone, isn’t it?” -Shizuku

“Is it impossible?” -Ur

“To aim for firepower greater than advanced magic, the only way is to use ultimate magic, Third, but that’s impossible for me right now… rather, it’s a matter of capacity. It’s impossible for a human body.” -Shizuku

That was the situation.

Therefore, Ur still saw potential in Lynne. Her magic was the most powerful, and it could deal a one-hit-kill blow to the omen bird, which would flee at any sign of disadvantage, faster than it could recognize its defeat. Ur was convinced that if he could land a direct hit with the magic he saw her use at the academy, the victory would undoubtedly be theirs.

“And there’s one more thing.” -Ur

『One more thing? 』-Rock

“The Poison Omen Bird…even if we fight it head-on, it’s not that there’s no chance of winning… but” -Ur

Ur, Shizuku, and Rock would guard the front lines while Lynne fought using magic tools. He hadn’t dismissed the idea of a conventional fight. But,

『But? 』-Rock

“Probably, it would turn into a life-or-death struggle. We might even lose lives. We can’t keep this up.” -Ur

Ur’s current goal is to rise to “Gold Rank.” Although Shizuku, Rock, and Lynne have different objectives, there’s no doubt they are all acting towards this goal for now.

Therefore, the battles will continue. Even if the fight against the Poison Omen Bird goes well, they will have to continue fighting against other, stronger bounties.

To continue risking lives in battle after battle is impossible.

It’s bound to fail eventually. Ur doesn’t have the luck to always come out on top.

“That’s why I want to master ‘strategy’ here.” -Ur

“That’s not very concrete.” -Lynne

『Well, you get what he’s trying to say, right? 』-Rock

Rock nodded in agreement with Ur’s words.

『Not just “responding to the enemy,” but “making the enemy respond to us,” right? 』-Rock

“Well, yeah.” -Ur

He wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a sure victory. But the fights up to now have been too haphazard. With too few cards in hand, they could only fight by slamming all their weapons down.

But now it’s different. With more funds, manpower, and increased strength, they have many more options. Now, instead of being overwhelmed by the enemy’s power and forced to respond, they might be able to impose “our way of fighting” on the enemy.

No, they must. To fight through what’s ahead.

『So, you’re going to use the young lady in this tactic? 』-Rock

“If we can fight centered around her ‘sure-win’ magic, it would make the battle easier, I believe.”  -Ur

Lynne proudly puffed out her chest. She’s an easy-to-read woman.

“So what shall we do? It’s no small feat to form her magic, 【White King Formation】.” -Shizuku

『Can’t we prepare it in advance on paper or something? 』-Rock

Asked, Lynne shook her head sideways.

“After completion, the 【White King Formation】 consumes the magical power of the target it’s drawn upon in order to maintain itself. If you draw it on paper or something with a low magical content, it won’t naturally absorb magic from the atmosphere like a living being, so the formation will naturally dissipate.” -Lynne

“What if we replenish your magic power when it starts to run low?” -Ur

“There are ways to do it, but it’s a hassle. Items with high magic storage capacity are expensive, and you have to follow the proper procedures. It’s better to draw it on something that has a minimum amount of magic power from the start.” -Lynne

『What’s the minimum amount? 』-Rock

“…If we’re talking about magic stones from monsters, it would be about one magic stone dropped by a ninth-class monster.” -Lynne

“So we’re talking about the scale of the Gashadokuro…” -Ur

Magic stones are basically all used for the operation of the city, so especially large ones are immediately recycled as fuel. The magic stones that adventurers sell are basically a one-way transaction. If you want to get one, you have to obtain it yourself. However, the type of monster that likely carries a magic stone of the scale needed now would be the Poison Omen Bird.

To defeat the omen bird, we need to defeat the omen bird. It’s impossible.

“That’s why you normally draw it on the ground. Through the earth, you can recover the necessary magic power from the magic veins.” -Lynne

“What if the target is us?” -Shizuku

Then Shizuku, with her clear, resonant voice, suggested.

“Ur-sama and I have a reasonable amount of magical power. And since we’re living beings, the magic power we consume naturally recovers. There should be some leeway before the formation dissipates.” -Shizuku

After pondering Shizuku’s question for a while, Lynne looked down and then nodded.

“It’s possible, but the type of magic that can be granted is limited to 【Enhancement】.” -Lynne

Enhancement magic. Magic to improve the body. That 【Ultimate Magic】, the maximum scale of enhancement can be attained. Ur lifts his face. Could this work?

『Then, if we draw in the enhancement magic, it will work? 』-Rock

“But as I said before, the formation also consumes magic power to maintain itself. Even in the process of completion, magic power is consumed to maintain the formation. Once completed, it’s super fast.” -Lynne

“How quickly will my magic power be consumed specifically?” -Ur

“Hmm,” Lynne stood up from her chair and extended her small palm towards Ur. “Hmm,” Ur matched his hand with hers, and she quietly closed her eyes. After a short while,

“About three minutes after completion.” -Lynne

『That’s fast. 』-Rock

“Thirty seconds once the enhancement is activated.” -Lynne

『That’s short. 』-Rock

“If the magic power is completely exhausted, the physical abilities will significantly weaken, and of course, magic will be impossible.” -Lynne

『That’s tough』-Rock

If the White King Formation is drawn on Ur outside the dungeon, in a safe place, then they must engage the Poison Omen Bird within three minutes, and then defeat it within the next thirty seconds. That’s incredibly difficult. It usually takes about an hour to engage the Omen bird.

『Oooh, what if I, like you, replenish my magic power with a magic stone? 』-Rock

“Nobody can replenish their magic power with a magic stone. You can do it because your soul has been modified.” -Lynne

There are magic power replenishment potions. They do exist but are quite expensive. The technology to physically replenish the soul, which stores magic power, is very advanced. There are few creators, and therefore, it’s costly.

“Was it about twenty silver coins to one gold coin for one bottle? And one replenishment only extends the time by at most one minute.” -Lynne

After entering the dungeon, it’s impossible to calculate how much it would cost to keep replenishing magic power every time it runs out. It’s out of the question.

Transferring from one person to another is not impossible, but with a rate of depletion that runs out in three minutes, it’s not very meaningful.

『That’s hard… So shouldn’t you modify your soul like me? 』-Rock

“Interfering with the soul of a living person is very dangerous, both for the one interfering and the one being interfered with. There might be practitioners at our academy who know the technique, but nobody will do it.” -Lynne

『Then enhance me, who can easily replenish magic power! 』-Rock

“If we use the ultimate enhancement magic on you, who is already consuming the capacity for granted magic just by existing as an undead soldier, it would blow away your soul as well.” -Lynne

『What if we draw everything up to the last stroke and then complete it on-site? 』-Rock

“We can do that up to the foundation, but after that, the magic power consumption will keep increasing as it gets closer to completion. If you move after completing most of it, you’ll probably run out of magic power before you even engage the Poison Omen Bird.” -Lynne

Upon hearing Lynne’s words, Rock grunted in agreement and after a moment, let out a groan, raised both hands as if to surrender.

『Ah~, what a hassle your magic is, no wonder it’s obsolete. 』-Rock

“I’ll kill you.” -Lynne

『I’m already dead. 』-Rock

As Rock clattered in laughter, teasing Lynne, she snatched his skull and began to pound it expressionlessly with her fist. The surreal sight startled the surrounding patrons, but the four of them ignored it. In the Adventurer’s Guild tavern, there was a minimal understanding and awareness of Rock.

Shizuku watched the two with a smile and then turned to Ur.

“It’s difficult, isn’t it, Ur-sama… Ur-sama?” -Shizuku

“Hm?… Ah.” -Ur

Ur replied distractedly, causing Shizuku to tilt her head.

“Did you think of something?” -Shizuku

“…A plan… if you can call it that…” -Ur

When he heard about the enhancement magic, Ur had a flash of inspiration.

It was too far-fetched to call a breakthrough. Probably no one had ever tried it. Even if they thought of it, they wouldn’t want to execute it. Ur himself almost laughed at his own ridiculous idea. But…

“…I have thought of something… but…” -Ur

The three members of his party turned their gazes towards Ur.

A far-fetched idea. However, the very act of hunting a bounty head is far from the norms of modern adventurers. Moreover, they plan to use the 【Leyline’s Magic】, known to be difficult to use in combat.

By normal standards, Ur and his companions are already outliers. Conventional strategies hardly apply to them.

In that case, they must pave their own way. Develop strategies for themselves, by themselves.

“Tell me. How can we use the White Witch’s technique in today’s day and age?” -Lynne

Receiving Lynne’s expectant gaze, Ur nodded.

“That is――――” -Ur

『HAHA, HAHAHAHA!!! What a bizarre idea you’ve come up with, Ur!! 』-Rock

“I think so too…” -Ur

After explaining everything, Ur ended up being heartily laughed at by his companions. Well, being laughed at outright was still better than being silently judged.

“If anyone has any objections, let’s hear them.” -Ur

Rock cracked his bones and then grinned, clenching his bare teeth together.

『I don’t mind. It seems much, much more enjoyable than just standing guard over the young lady. 』-Rock

“What about Shizuku?” -Ur

Shizuku nodded with an extremely serious expression.

“We need to verify if it’s really feasible, but I think it’s worth a try.” -Shizuku

“Lynne.” -Ur

Lynne stared at Ur with the same indignant and intense expression she had when they first met.

“If I can make known to the world the power of the White Witch, the crystallization of the Leyline’s cultivated technique, I’ll do whatever it takes.” -Lynne

“It’s decided then. First, we shop.” -Ur

The group’s direction was set.