Volume 4 Chapter 20 ： Closure Device
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Separated from Hendric and the others, we were exploring a different path.
Along the way, we passed several parties, but since they were all veteran hunting teams, there seemed to be no casualties despite facing large ‘another world monster’s.
Each party returned to the entrance carrying their spoils.
We had taken down 2 large monsters and about 50 small ones, but our spoils were meager for the number of people we sent in.
However, pushing too hard for results would lead to injuries or deaths.
So, after discussing with Milly, we decided to wrap up for the day after hunting one more large monster.
Originally, we weren’t aiming for closing rewards, so I thought it wasn’t necessary to push further.
”Well then, let’s call it a day after one more. Mr. Hendric, Mr. Matthew, and Mr. Soumei’s parties will handle the deepest areas. It’s frustrating, but deep exploration isn’t possible for us yet.”
Watching Hendric’s party fight, I realized the difference in experience and rank as a Monster Hunter.
Our ‘Crimson Bride’ was still just a group of amateurs in coordination and tactics, relying on good equipment and funding to keep it going.
If we faced off against Hendric’s team in a mock battle, I’d envision a scene where we couldn’t dodge their gunfire and several of us would fall within seconds, leaving only Milly standing.
Though I thought I had become stronger, I learned that there are still many strong people in this world, and I resolved to work hard to obtain further jobs.
As I walked, lost in thought, Milly issued a warning.
”There’s something that looks like a sword stuck deep in a dead-end room… it seems like a trap. Remember that party I mentioned before? They picked up a sword in a room, and then the ceiling collapsed, wiping them out.”
I feel like Milly talked about something like this before.
’…Help…’
I faintly heard a woman’s voice calling for help in my ear.
The source of the voice leads to the room where the sword is stuck.
”I can hear a woman’s voice calling for help…”
”Huh? What are you talking about? I don’t hear any woman’s voice!”
Lina, next to me, looked in with a puzzled face.
The woman’s voice came more clearly into my ear.
’Please… help… me… quickly’
Every time I hear that voice, the feeling that I must go toward it grows stronger.
”A woman is calling! We have to help!”
”Kent! What are you saying? Are you sleepy?──Kyaa!”
I shook off Lina’s hold and ran into the room with the sword.
”Talia! Kent is acting strange! Stop him!”
Talia read a magic incantation to try to stop me.
”I understand. Sir Kent, I shall calm you. Gather, magic element! Let peace descend and calm him! ‘Sanity’!”
Talia’s magic ‘Sanity’ did not affect me.
And I entered the room with the sword.
”Kent! Don’t touch that sword! It’s a trap!”
”But a woman is trapped! I have to help! How can I help?”
’Draw the sword… If you do… I will be saved…’
I squeezed the hilt of the silver sword in the center of the room as if guided by the voice calling for help.
”I can save you with this. I’m pulling it out right now!”
”Kent! Keep it together!”
Dee, using her swift feet, quickly approached me, but I had already pulled out the sword just a moment sooner.
’Foolish man…’
With that voice, I came to my senses and saw the ceiling coming closer.
It seemed I had triggered the trap.
This is bad… I’m going to be crushed.
Am I going to die here…?
”Kent! Don’t give up! I’m right here with you!”
When Dee tripped me, I supported the ceiling with both hands as it came crashing down.
The impact of the ceiling hitting made Dee’s face twist.
”Dee! Don’t push yourself! Run!”
”If I run, Kent will get squished… I don’t want a flat Kent. So, hurry and get out of the room!”
”Got it. I’ll go first. Just hold on a little longer.”
Other members understood the situation and propped up the ceiling with sticks, while Lina deployed a physical barrier with Support Magic to hold the wall back.
Thanks to that, Dee and I managed to escape from the room.
The room we escaped from gradually changed like the insides of a living creature.
”Trap room…!? Everyone, this is an ‘another world monster’! Get ready for battle!”
Milly declared that the room in front of us was an ‘another world monster’.
Immediately, tentacles shot out from inside the room and bound me, who was holding a sword.
Unable to avoid the tentacles, I got bound and was about to be dragged back into the room.
’Don’t abandon me… Don’t leave me behind…’
The familiar voice echoed in my head, but having escaped its influence, I thrust the silver longsword I was holding into the ground to avoid being dragged.
”Lord Kent! I will help you!”
Aurelia rushed over and slashed the tentacles binding me.
The tentacles were chopped up and fell to the ground, releasing me from the bind.
”Aurelia. Thanks for saving me.”
”Only Lady Miriallia, the main wife, and our side wives can eat Lord Kent.”
Aurelia has become bold in making lewd comments.
I wouldn’t mind being eaten by Milly or Aurelia, though.
Oh, wait, we were in the middle of a battle.
”That’s right. I need to give this thing (the trap room) that tried to eat me a special present. Milly, Ines, Feria, I’m sorry, but I need you to handle the tentacles for a while. Kerstin! Set the ‘explosive shell’ in the launcher!”
”Understood! Launcher attached! Shell type ‘explosive shell’ set!”
At Kerstin’s command, the members of ‘Black Bullet’ with Elitzina started attaching cylindrical objects from their waist pouches to the ends of their guns.
Then, they took out larger rounds than normal from their chest pockets and loaded them into the barrel.
’Loading ready!’
I also attached the cylindrical part I received from Aida to my Elitzina and finished loading the rounds.
”Loading complete! At my signal, fire at once! Aim for the trap room wall! Aim! Shoot!”
Bang, bang, bang.
After the 9 shots, the rounds, tracing an arcing trajectory, embedded themselves into the trap room’s wall, resembling animal innards.
”Everyone! The blast is coming, take cover!”
Hearing my warning, the members all dropped to the ground.
Immediately after, a series of explosive sounds erupted from the trap room’s wall, and the blast wave swept through the corridor.
When the smoke cleared, a blue-dyed room appeared before us.
’To defeat me… ridiculous… I don’t want to die…’
”We did it! Take that!”
The dying wail of the trap room echoed in my head.
As the space that had been a room gradually shrank and reverted to a standard-level corridor, a red gemstone-like object fell onto the floor.
After what just happened, I kept my distance and observed cautiously.
”When I rushed into that room, it was because the moment I saw the silver longsword, a voice echoed in my head—’Help me.’ After that, I could barely think, and before I knew it, I was caught in that trap.”
I explained my mental state during the trap to Milly.
At that moment, my actions were completely controlled by the voice, and my own thoughts had been shut down.
”You suddenly jumped into the room, so I was wondering what was going on. Maybe that trap room emitted a suggestion, charm effect, or some kind of hallucinatory scent that only affected men. The wiped-out party I saw in another trap room was all male too. It could be a male-specific trap.”
Milly had also seen a party that was completely wiped out in a trap room—all of them were men.
It seemed certain that the trap room had some ability to lure men in.
”For now, let me check it out. It’s too risky. Kent, stay back and watch.”
Cautiously, Milly approached the red gemstone-like object on the ground, scanning the area thoroughly before gently picking it up. She braced herself as she lifted it—but nothing happened.
When she picked it up, she braced herself, but nothing happened.
”Seems like it’s not a trap. It looks like a deep red gem. Let’s take it as loot. Should we also bring back the silver longsword?”
Milly picked up the silver longsword.
The sword in Milly’s hand might have abilities like charm or allure, but it wasn’t displaying any abilities right now.
”Hah, nothing’s happening. Good. I thought there might be a trap, but they set quite a sneaky trap…”
”Ah, I almost died. If Dee hadn’t been here, I would have been eaten by the trap room.”
”Kent, you could praise me a bit more, you know. I’m happy when I’m praised.”
I ruffled Dee’s head and gave her a kiss of thanks.
”Ah! It’s so unfair that only Dee-Dee gets to have that! Mr. Kent, I want one too!”
Feria, watching the kiss given to Dee, pouted her lips, wanting one for herself.
”Alright, let’s head home now! Everyone, get ready to retreat!”
Thinking it would never end, I elegantly ignored Feria.
”Mr. Kenttt! That’s terrible! It’s unfair that only Dee-Dee gets to have it! Feria wants one too!”
Annoyed that she was ignored, Feria lay on the ground, exposing her panties, and began to throw a tantrum.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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