Chapter 64 Second Deployment
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Don’t die on me. Absolutely don’t die. I promised I wouldn’t let anyone I care about get into danger. Sob…”
”Young Master, while I won’t tell you to be ladylike and composed…”
”Well, obviously. I’m a guy, you know.”
As I grumbled, Trash-san comforted me with a concerned expression.
I had sworn not to put my Imperial Guard in danger, and I had undertaken espionage precisely to avoid such risks.
Yet, my Imperial Guard was now in the dungeon’s middle layers. This was the midst of our second infiltration strategy.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since then. For some reason, the southern front observed a pastoral tradition of resting during the New Year holidays.
I suppose it’s a remnant of an era when war was a part of daily life. Thanks to this, we had ample time to prepare for the mission.
I had frequent correspondence with Kaede-san.
However, I couldn’t change her resolve. It seemed that due to the culture of this era, which valued dying in a blaze of glory, she was calm yet stubborn.
It is a great shame for a master when an active Imperial Guard retires. A man abandoned by his female guards is usually unheard of and becomes a laughingstock in the world of social etiquette.
However, in reality, Imperial Guards sometimes shift rotations due to injury or illness that makes continuation impossible.
In the case of this infiltration mission, it was one of the few instances where such a flaw in the master-servant relationship would not be an issue. In missions with such high risks to life, one might resign after preparing a successor.
Any male Imperial Guard is a popular position, and there are mountains of women who want to take their place.
It’s their freedom to dream, even if their future is short and they’ll be used up. It feels strangely melancholic.
”So, in the end, Kaede-san was the only one to leave the Imperial Guard…”
She said it was her way of atoning for hurting me and for serving someone other than her own master. Even within the Ichimatsu group, Kiri-san and Natsume-san continued as Imperial Guards for no such reason.
Therefore, from society’s perspective, Ichimatsu challenged the infiltration strategy again, and I, impressed, joined him. In reality, I am merely cooperating with my Imperial Guard to help Kaede-san and the others as compensation for the strategy’s failure.
Technically, I met with Ichimatsu again after that, as part of the etiquette and procedures for our cooperation. He was as sarcastic as ever, but he seemed quite shaken when he saw me talking with Kaede-san and the others as if we were old friends.
He was inexplicably shocked by our friendly interactions.
He became quiet and retreated to his private room. He’s still a baffling old man.
Perhaps it was bad that Kaede-san was seen juggling with her head as part of exploring ways to utilize her effectively. I also enjoyed seeing Kiri-san and Natsume-san’s street-performance-like, harmless psionic powers.
Well, some time has passed, and I’ve managed to shift my feelings a bit. By using my recovery as an excuse to spend all day engaging in lewd acts with Maggot-san, I can’t help but feel better.
Trash-san spoke forcefully, as if to erase my anxiety.
”Don’t worry. I will meet your expectations. I will banish your worries, leave it to me.”
”Thank you, as always. But please, don’t overdo it.”
”We will deliver them safely. I don’t know why you worry about Kaede-dono, Young Master, but if it’s to be her final service as an Imperial Guard, we have our own feelings about it.”
Does Trash-san already consider Kaede-san to have no future? I wonder.
While it’s bad for me to do dangerous things, women seem to have a relatively lower hurdle for gambling with their own lives. This aspect of their perception still strikes me as difficult.
We are currently on the third tier of the alien ship.
The first tier is a hallway lined with guest rooms. After passing through the maze-like backrooms of the second tier, the third tier contains food production plants, weapon factories, and biological research labs.
On this third tier is a door leading to the Uncanny Valley.
Beyond the door is the first tier, so the Uncanny Valley is two tiers down from the alien ship. This is the same route Kaede-san and her group took last time.
Trash-san, Flatty-chan, and Kaede-san’s trio—a total of five members of the Exploration Squad—were in a giant factory. I am with them from my private room, using my psionic power to follow them.
”Since there’s an open slot externally anyway, couldn’t I just take Kaede-san? She doesn’t have a master right now.”
I want her as my emotional support and perhaps for other purposes. I said it casually, like picking up a stray cat, but Trash-san scolded me, saying it was an outrageous thing to do.
”Poaching someone who has undergone the Oath of Fealty Ritual is strictly forbidden.”
”Ah, right. That’s true. But still, ugh…”
”If you want to increase your Imperial Guard, please choose from the candidates. The list I gave you previously is full of those who earnestly desire your invitation.”
I let out a genuine thought mixed with distress, audible only to Trash-san.
”Ah, if only Trash-san, Kaede-san, and I could have sex together.”
”Absolutely not.”
”I wanted to be squeezed between you both, skin to skin. I wanted to be entangled until morning with shift rotations. Why are there so many actresses around me who refuse to co-star?”
Trash-san rejected me flatly. It’s not just because I’m a perverted brat that I’m begging her like this.
”I also want to be with Flatty-chan. And if possible, Kiri-san and Natsume-san too.”
”Are you trying to make me angry, Young Master?”
”Because you might do as you please, I told you, Trash-san, to always explicitly state what I want!”
”You did say that. I didn’t expect it to go this far, though. My head is starting to hurt.”
”Regretting it?”
”…No. Please continue to tell me anything.”
The Big Sister wore an expression full of distress at my rambling.
Trash-san doesn’t know that Kaede-san is a target of my psionic power.
It’s a subtle and inconvenient strain to keep the channel focused only on her when we are in the same space. Furthermore, considering the possibility of being separated within the enemy’s dungeon, having me as a means of communication is definitely advantageous.
I can’t tell Kaede-san that I can use psionic power on her. It would reveal that I slept with her.
I came up with a counter-idea.
If that’s the case, I should do it again now. That way, it won’t be unnatural for me to be able to use psionic power on Kaede-san.
Besides, if I could have sex with these unique older sisters, I wouldn’t mind going to hell. Since we’ve made up, let’s all lick our wounds together.
I repeatedly negotiated with her until today’s departure, but it was a complete failure. I only got scolded and worried about.
”That’s right. Then, if the strategy is successful, let’s all do it to celebrate?”
Come to think of it, in terms of population ratio, I could do 1000P and it would be fine.
I was an idiot. I always get like this when my mood improves.
”Let’s put that conversation aside for now.”
Trash-san changed the subject with a pained expression.
* * *
I watched their battle.
I can see through that red mist, so I’m sure I can be of help, and more importantly, I’m the cause of this whole affair. So I can’t just say, “You handle the rest.”
However, the Imperial Guards looked displeased. But after discussing it, we decided I would be here.
During psionic power usage, an Imperial Guard would remain by my side, coordinating with the ground situation. The town’s strategists gave permission for the strategy, and everything seems to be going well.
However, Trash-san was one of those who felt dissatisfied with this matter.
”I still oppose you accompanying me to the battlefield. It is not something for a man to witness.”
”But you allowed me, didn’t you? Thank you.”
”You intended to follow even if I refused, didn’t you?”
”Well, yes.”
I would likely be held back, and I would feel pained by it, but in the end, I feel like I would follow after some fuss. We have learned from each other.
* * *
The sound of crackling electricity echoed from afar. Kiri-san, the sniper, was aiming her rifle, the same one as the other day, and lying prone.
”My, my, the artisan’s psionic power is the best! Unlimited shots, unlimited use. Give me another one!”
Her hair fluttered upwards. A yellow electric shock leaked from the gun, and a bullet silently slid from the muzzle. The soundless projectile struck a three-story-tall maggot-like creature in the distance.
Upon impact, flesh and bone were pulverized. The alien’s terrifying roar echoed. From a distance, it looked like fireworks of flesh, organs, and green blood. The power was immense even from this distance, showing the monster’s size and the gun’s power.
”Fireworks! I’m about to wet myself!”
”Producing mystical objects takes stamina. Please don’t waste them.”
”Got it, Mr. Rich Man.”
”Are you really listening? Kaede-dono, please say something to her too.”
”Kiri’s condition is a sickness. It can’t be cured.”
Trash-san handed Kiri-san several yellow capsules from his pocket. She accepted them with great joy, pressed one to her nose to savor the scent, and moved on to her second shot.
The dungeon is gradually becoming more like a spaceship.
As we delve deeper into the dungeon, we approach the core of this structure. The vast chamber, several times the size of a gymnasium, was filled with countless green eggs, several meters tall, all empty inside.
”What a sci-fi weapon… I wonder how it works?”
This time, all the other personnel were also equipped with rifles.
Whenever a monster appeared, a barrage of light was fired from the guns, and the aliens were blown away. It was like a scene from a space war.
”Flatty. This will be a good experience. Why don’t you try to defeat more?”
”Ugh, too much trouble.”
”I’ll weaken them for you.”
Trash-san and Flatty-chan raised their rifles, aiming at distant monsters.
These guns are all mystical objects discovered on the alien ship. They are dungeon equipment, to put it simply.
Weapons found in dungeons vary greatly in atmosphere depending on the region.
Some are strongly fantasy-oriented, like holy swords, bows, or cursed magic rings, while others, like ours, use futuristic weapons. There were also primitive spears and syringes that granted superpowers.
Guns have rarity, but all use yellow charging capsules as fuel, not cartridges. These finger-sized charging capsules can be obtained in various parts of the dungeon and are a common standard for most equipment, including visors.
The types of bullets fired vary by gun, including compressed and heated air, lasers, and electric shocks. All are compactly designed without magazines.
”They always clean them up so quickly, so it’s fine. I’ll give them to Trash.”
”Then I have no choice. At least explain the mystical objects to Young Master so he doesn’t get bored.”
”Eh, me? And is he really here? Isn’t this just some twisted fantasy of Trash’s?”
Flatty-chan is right next to me.
But she doesn’t notice me. Her eyes are narrowed, looking suspiciously at Trash-san.
Flatty-chan, who was forcibly dragged to the scene, is in a bad mood. Although she looks relaxed, she is the most intellectual member of the Exploration Squad, a mystical object researcher, and not suited for field combat. She is wearing an Imperial Guard suit with a visor. Flatty-chan, who became a psionic user by chance, has a frail physique and is not suited for combat.
She has no chest but a large backside. Her thighs are loose and shapeless. I feel like squeezing her face. She must smell good.
Although she can do fieldwork, she is not someone who routinely explores dungeons.
”Honestly, you look like a lunatic talking to a wall.”
”It seems you haven’t reflected on striking Young Master…”
”I have, I have! Violence is bad, I’m against violence!”
Trash-san mercilessly squeezed Flatty-chan.
She couldn’t match Trash-san’s strength. She’s a level 1 novice psionic user.
Flatty-chan let out a startled scream, her long, tied-back hair swaying like a tail. However, her flat chest remained completely still.
Sad. …Come to think of it, Flatty is a terrible name.
”If you’re reflecting, tell me what you’re reflecting on.”
”I should have savored the feeling of the young master’s cheek more slowly. Why am I the one being deployed anyway? Vocal Slut would be more suitable.”
”Her role is bodyguard. Besides, can you endure being alone with Young Master in place of Vocal Slut?”
Flatty-chan stroked her chin and imagined.
”That’s impossible…”
”…Haa. If I can’t see him, I won’t be nervous, right?”
”R-right! Hey, if I explain well, can I touch your face again?”
I responded to her murmur.
’Sure. Touch it as much as you want. Be more careful this time.’
Flatty-chan hit me, but I don’t have any aversion to her. She’s just an older sister I’m not afraid of.
It’s frustrating that I can’t talk to Flatty-chan without going through Trash-san as a translator.
It’s inconvenient. In an emergency, it would be problematic if I couldn’t convey what I needed to say immediately.
I pondered this while looking at her flat backside.
This is the consequence of not being able to interact with the remaining Imperial Guards. How can I achieve a soft landing while avoiding my chastity issue?
”He says no.”
”Ah, still no? I see, we’re not that close yet.”
”I think you’re misunderstanding something, but just because you’re close doesn’t mean you can touch your master.”
”You touch him all the time!”
”That’s…”
Besides, the translator’s performance isn’t very good.
Even though I have so many troubles with sexual relations, I go crazy when women are in front of me like this.
Being in the same space with five beautiful women makes my thoughts reckless, as if I’ve forgotten my troubles. That’s what it means to be a man, and that’s me.
I’m starting to doubt which of us is healthier, compared to the men in this world.
* * *
”Gyaaa…!”
”Hmph.”
As I swung my sword, I severed a thorny tentacle that sprang from a gap in the pipes. Grabbing the writhing, log-like mass of flesh, everyone worked together to drag the monster out of the narrow space.
”Jua. Kyu…! Gyaaa!”
Then, we efficiently shot and weakened a spherical alien that appeared. The monster weakened, spewing green blood.
Finally, we all attacked it together. In a short time, purple internal organs and fragments of riddled tentacles were scattered on the floor.
The path to the door leading to the Uncanny Valley was like a weapons testing range. This is a dungeon I know well. The monsters are quite strong.
Swarms of slimy green lizards and winged maggots attacked one after another. But prior knowledge makes a big difference. They dealt with each one carefully.
”Chi, chi, jiji…”
A swarm of monsters that looked like arthropods with wings fell to the floor, flapping. They seemed to die instantly, without even spasming.
Flatty-chan provided explanations as she walked, as if it were a monologue.
It was a segment introducing scientifically explained mystical object weapons. It was like a dungeon version of Jungle Cruise.
”What you just used is a lethal space generator and sprayer. It’s commonly called a gas weapon. It sprays a force field that stops all electronic movement, including bioelectricity. Higher organisms die because their nerves can’t transmit signals, and single-celled organisms die because they can’t regulate osmotic pressure using chlorine ions.”
She carefully taught us each weapon like a teacher whenever the vanguard used one. If she wore glasses, she’d look like a home tutor, or rather, an older sister reluctantly helping her younger brother study, as if she’d be sent to the convenience store as soon as she was done.
She throws out what she knows haphazardly and thinks it’s education. It has a modern Japanese feel, like someone who’d be asked to run errands.
”People without knowledge tend to think it’s poison gas. It might have originally been a medical sterilization device.”
Kaede-san and the others ahead threw grenade-like objects at the monsters, releasing a skin-toned gas. The smoke lingered for about 10 seconds before dissipating.
”If you touch it, you’ll die too. It’s dangerous.”
Monsters attacked with the frequency of a splatter movie, but the five Imperial Guards repelled them without hesitation, using disposable weapons.
Since the number of monsters defeated by weapons is counted, they must be gaining considerable experience. The exact conditions for gaining experience are killing the monster or being nearby when it dies.
I followed them, feeling like I was in a nightmare, encountering monsters nearly ten times.
Flatty-chan explained in a slightly biased, rapid-fire manner, typical of an otaku. She assumes I have scientific knowledge, so there were many parts I didn’t understand. She sounded like a self-absorbed researcher. However, her knowledge was the most advanced I had heard in this world.
Her explanations casually included knowledge from the Showa era onwards. Apparently, during her Imperial Guard school days, she went to the Imperial Capital for studies using town funds. There is a system for candidates strong in theoretical studies to study abroad. Well, experts’ knowledge is said to be 50 years ahead of society.
”Flatty-chan’s weapon is a single-molecule blade. I like this one. Everyone else’s mass blades are heavy. I can’t lift them. That one is durable, though.”
There are different types of sword drops.
As a demonstration, she cut a nearby metal pipe. Her sword didn’t cut like the other Imperial Guards’ swords; it seemed to pass through empty space.
”See? When charged, a strong single molecule is generated at the edge. It slips between molecules, so it can cut regardless of hardness… Ow!”
’Flatty-chan, are you okay?’
”This is a demonstration of how dangerous the blade is, that’s all.”
She cut her own finger and put it in her mouth, crying.
My concern couldn’t reach her. It must have hurt.
”If you hit high-density or high-temperature materials, the generation of the edge can’t keep up, and the sharpness decreases, so it can’t cut everything indefinitely. Also, well…”
She explained it to me, the invisible person, with difficulty. She had a serious expression.
She introduced some interesting equipment.
The sniper rifle Kiri-san used last time was actually just a standard rifle for general soldiers. It’s called a photon rifle. It heats air to fire, and can be used in single or burst fire modes. When switched to laser mode, it can melt anything. It’s a versatile weapon dependent on electricity. One charging capsule can fire a hundred shots, but the electricity consumption varies depending on the use. The laser, at low output, can be used as a light source or to boil water. If adjusted, it can become a blinding laser that causes blindness.
It seems to violate some treaty. Furthermore, it is versatile and powerful, yet cannot be used by enemies even if captured. Even if disassembled, its mechanism is not understood, and its fuel can only be harvested in this dungeon. In ground battles, it is used by skilled townspeople alongside ordinary assault rifles. Weapons from alien ships, unlike those dropped in other regions, can be effectively used by ordinary people. Thanks to this, the townspeople are incredibly strong. Moreover, the townspeople now seem to commit suicide using poison gas or biological weapons. Sometimes they intentionally get infected with the alien ship’s biological weapons and become prisoners. This is why Kujukuri Town is strong in defense battles, a terrifying thought.
”This is the real gas weapon. Protein-denaturing gas. If you inhale even a breath, days later, your whole body will become spongy and you will die. In foreign languages, it’s called prion disease. It doesn’t affect psionic users. In fact, since it’s just protein, it becomes like a stew if you put it in a pot.”
Flatty-chan taught me knowledge I would never use.
Her explanations often went off on tangents. ‘Why are we suddenly talking about pots?’
”Denaturing gas is less effective against very strong monsters and psionic users. Originally, this type of weapon varies in effectiveness depending on the creature. But this one can deal with any creature without exception. Perhaps the aliens used it for pest control on unknown planets. It was delicious.”
Ah, she ate it. She gave a comment like an elementary school student.
And why can poison gas be eaten? Researchers are a bit strange.
She continued with various anecdotes.
Kujukuri’s weapons are mostly based on scientific technology and are suitable for mass slaughter of ordinary people, but are less effective against psionic users.
Pure physical force is needed to overcome the mysterious defensive power and regenerative ability that ignore scientific basis. That’s why the bodies of strong psionic users are often unrecognizable.
”This is a high-voltage fusion grenade. An electromagnetic pulse generator. You use it after breaking a circuit.”‘
’Ah, the one Kaede-san and the others used in the church.’
It was an EMP weapon.
It was a sad weapon because most of its performance was wasted as there were no electronic devices to jam. The explanation was that it simply defeated enemies with the leakage power generated during the pulse.
”Actually, small machines are active on the surface of the white uniforms worn by the Imperial Guards, automatically repelling harmful gases and viruses. Since there are contaminated areas from the middle layers of the alien ship onwards, it’s essential equipment. …Young Master, are you listening?”
It seems nanomachines live in the white uniform. That’s why it didn’t need washing.
I’ve used it as bedding instead of a futon on various occasions, and I always thought it was strangely clean. Little fairies must have been cleaning it.
As I enjoyed listening to her explanations, we eventually reached a black door.
* * *
”We’ve finally arrived…”
Flatty-chan glared at the door to the Uncanny Valley with the eyes of someone seeing a maggot.
Dungeon doors are significant to the Exploration Squad. There’s nothing better than a door back to this world, and nothing more depressing than a door forward.
”It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to think of it as an opportunity to see mystical objects from other dungeons. Woooah! If that’s the case, I’m going to steal everything!”
”Hey Flatty, stop being so noisy by yourself.”
”You were just like this earlier too!”
The five of them passed through the door one after another. I also rebooted my psionic power and informed the Imperial Guards waiting in the private room that we had entered the Uncanny Valley.
* * *
We have returned here again. A lonely valley and a red-black land. Under a cloudy sky, there are only rocks and poisonous swamps scattered about. The terrain is flat.
It was like the Alps, with rolling hills. Distant mountains could be seen, and if it weren’t for the red swamps caused by mist and humidity, this would have been a great summer resort. I can imagine fields of flowers blooming in summer and shepherds working leisurely. But it has already been completely invaded by flesh and organs. Walking on the desolate path are not gentle dairy farmers or sheepdogs, but ugly masses of flesh.
A red mist drifted through the mountains. It looked as if the lowlands were submerged in a sea of blood.
”Young Master, can you see through the mist?”
”Yes. There’s a large monster in the mist. Some of them have noticed us, and some are approaching from afar.”
”Can you point out the locations?”
”There, there, and over there.”
As I pointed to several spots, Trash-san began adjusting her visor. Electronic sounds rang out, and the numbers on the visor’s surface changed.
I don’t understand it, but it looks cool.
”Young Master. I need to coordinate with Kaede-dono, so you can return to your private room or keep Flatty company.”
”Then I’ll stay here.”
”In that case, please stay within my sight.”
”Understood. I can’t really go far anyway.”
I felt like I was being told something like a real child.
As I walked around, I found Flatty-chan doing something strange.
”Well then, let’s do this.”
Flatty-chan took several photon rifles out of her backpack. They must be spares.
Modern technology can’t maintain them, so they bring multiple for long missions. When transported, the parts are stored, and they look like long, rectangular metal prisms. They transform at the etched grooves into triggers and sights, becoming assault rifle-like.
She laid them on the ground.
”Nngh!”
With a strange shout, Flatty-chan clapped her hands together.
The stacked prisms glowed and became a single, warped barrel. It was small for a cannon, with a large caliber, emitting a mysterious glow, like a silver rocket launcher.
”I’ve been layering them like this until today. Phew… Final touches complete. Yo, Kiri-san!”
She called out to Kiri-san and handed her the item she had just been working on. The recipient made a strange face and examined the newly created mystical object from various angles.
”What is this? Is it a gun? I’ve never seen anything like it, even in the deep layers. Kaede, do you know about this?”
”No.”
”Eh—? What is this?”
The other members of the Ichimatsu group also gathered. They observed it with great interest.
Even though they have been part of the Kujukuri Exploration Squad for many years, they had never seen such a gun. This means it hasn’t been produced in decades.
Of course, I had no way of knowing.
”My psionic power is the fusion of mystical objects. Combining different objects is difficult, but stacking the same mystical object improves its performance. I think it has been sublimated into a mystical object superior to the photon rifle. It’s a strange shape, but I’d be happy if you tried using it.”
The three were surprised. Flatty-chan’s psionic power is rare and unusual. It seems she used the psionic power of mystical object synthesis to enhance equipment.
Mixing mystical objects to create stronger ones. If this is possible, this synthesis ability can create stronger mystical objects from weaker ones. Its value is obvious to them as members of the Exploration Squad. If multiple items are combined, weapons will improve in performance, low-quality medical treatments will become high-quality, and the production of mystical objects that generate resources will increase.
She has transformed into a versatile alchemical furnace. And Trash-san can provide the mystical objects for it.
”It will consume fuel like crazy. Trash, please charge it.”
”Sure, let’s try it.”
Trash-san took out a pile of charging capsules from his pocket and poured them into the rough texture and the barrel.
Kiri-san muttered as she watched, her voice slightly venomous.
”This is what you call a lucky psionic power, huh…”
She pulled herself together and took a sniping stance while standing on the ground. Recoil and muscle tension didn’t seem to bother her.
* * *
Cleavage sinking into the red mist. The mist is quite thick now. In the vast sea of mist far away, a large blue object was visible. Several rock-like backs were crowded together like beans in a pot.
Kiri-san, aiming, is targeting that group. It’s the crab-like monster that defeated Kaede-san. More than five are running towards us at terrifying speed. The monsters are leaping out of the mist, crossing the swamps, and crushing rocks as they approach.
They will reach us in a few minutes.
The time when the mist is thick is indeed bad. The monsters’ strength and appearance frequency are comparable to or greater than those on the third tier we passed through earlier.
”First experience, huh? Can’t get enough of it.”
”Kiri, they’re coming. After the first shot, we’ll fire too.”
”Got it. Let’s give it a try.”
The moment Kiri-san pulled the trigger, it happened. At the tip of the one-and-a-half-meter barrel, a brightness like the sun began to converge.
”What the! I can’t see…! Ugh!”
Along with intense heat, a lightning strike hit the back of my eardrums. A dazzling light was emitted from the muzzle.
I could see it. A slender projectile that blinded the eyes.
The light bullet shot out from the muzzle and instantly engulfed the monster horde. It pierced the terrain and carved a scorching scar into the earth.
That powerful horde vanished in the blink of an eye. It was no longer a bullet, but a mythical sword that cut through the world.
When the projectile hit a Flatty, it heated up and released plasma, causing a small explosion. The rock face began to crumble with a rattling sound.
The sound of a landslide echoed through the valley. Looking closely at the trajectory, the ground directly below where the projectile passed had turned glassy. I feel like something physically terrible is happening.
I, being an incorporeal being unaffected by light and heat, saw everything. The Imperial Guards couldn’t properly grasp the situation due to the impact of firing this mystical object.
Also, Kiri-san’s clothes are burning.
”Ouch, ouch! W-what is this? I can’t hold it!”
”Kiri-chan! Roll on the ground, quickly!”
”It’s burning, fire!!”
Kaede-san kicked Kiri-san, who was on fire, into the swamp. She sank into the poisonous swamp with a splash.
”What the hell are you doing…! Gulp… Gulp… It’s deep…”
”B-because I have to put out the fire!”
”Help…!”
”Kiri-chan, grab on!”
Natsume-san desperately reached into the poisonous swamp to find her.
After a while, Kiri-san, half-naked with her clothes burned, spat out red water and reached for the edge of the swamp.
Her hair and body were soaked, and she looked quite erotic. Even though she’s over forty, their bodies are a feast for the eyes.
”Gulp, gulp. I had a terrible experience.”
”Hold on, are you okay?!”
While the two were making a fuss, the remaining people were all staring at the ground in astonishment.
There, the red-hot mystical object was scorching the ground. The metal was melting, and cracks had formed in the parts. It seems there is no cooling function.
And this is not a mobile phone firearm. Heat dissipation and recoil control are left to some other function, or perhaps it’s part of a much larger weapon system. Besides, it was lucky that Kiri-san held it by hand.
I couldn’t help but look back at Flatty-chan, who had been slightly proud and blushing until just now, while acting as if nothing was wrong. There was no such color on her face now.
She, who created this astonishing mystical object, muttered softly.
”This is bad. Is this Flatty-chan’s fault? No, calm down, me… But it was good that I had someone else test it… That’s why I finished it on-site instead of making it beforehand.”‘
’Flatty-chan…’
”Stay calm, especially now. Haa, fuu.”
She placed a hand on her flat chest. Then, in an even quieter voice, inaudible to anyone else, she desperately thought of excuses, which I could hear.
I was somewhat impressed by her, who was starting to panic under everyone’s attention.
”According to the calculations, it should be an upgraded mystical object! It evolved in a diagonal direction. Or perhaps the photon rifle itself is not classified as a gun? Anyway, it’s good that no one was injured.”
She tried to speak to Kiri-san, who had burned her hand, and Natsume-san, who was supporting her.
”Kiri-chan isn’t injured?”
Natsume-san looked scared.
”Ah, no. Well, what I just said was inappropriate, or rather, um…”
Still, the surroundings were a disaster.
The result of consuming multiple photon rifles, which are mystical objects, was only the wreckage of a laser cannon scorching the ground. Those charging capsules alone were worth about 800,000 yen in modern terms.
In addition, Kiri-san’s white uniform and suit were burned. I don’t even want to know the cost of the fused guns.
Flatty-chan took a deep breath and made a determined face.
She probably couldn’t think of a good excuse. She abruptly opened the dungeon door with a clank.
”I’m sorry. You might think this is a bad time, but… really, I’m sorry.”
Bang.
The door she passed through closed.
After that, the door remained silent. Of course, Flatty-chan was immediately dragged back and, crying, was forced to salvage usable parts from the damaged gun.
We surrounded the mystical object that had started to ignite on the ground. The sound of popping metal parts echoed lonely in my ears.
’Yeah, it somehow became like a spaceship’s cannon, deviating from the category of guns…’
It seems that instead of the gun being strengthened as a gun, it evolved into a beam cannon. I thought her psionic power could synthesize various things more freely, but is it a recipe system like a game’s alchemy system?
In any case, although we obtained information about a new mystical object, it doesn’t change the fact that we wasted some equipment before the strategy.
Whether a mystical object that can be operated in conjunction with this weapon will be found later on the alien ship, or if it’s just a one-of-a-kind item from Flatty-chan, is unknown. But for now, the damage was greater.
Trash-san bowed to Kaede-san and the others, apologizing.
”I will lend her out as labor later. I have spare photon rifles, but please work her like a draft horse to make up for this loss.”
”No. You are good. There are many things I want to multiply.”
”…Kaede-dono. Unfortunately, I have a reservation with the town’s higher-ups. But, yes. I will consider it.”
”Okay.”
Kaede-san and the others took out spare equipment from their backpacks and began preparations for a full-scale exploration. This is enemy territory from now on. They chose the time of deep fog for a reason: visors allow them to see where others cannot, allowing them to slip through the enemy’s vigilance.
Last time they fled, but through interrogation, they learned the location of the dungeon door leading to the ground near Isumi Town. They also know the town’s structure and the targets to aim for. They dealt with strong monsters in the first strike, so the plan is to proceed stealthily towards their goal, and then switch to diversion or withdrawal depending on the situation.
”I will do everything I can. After all, there’s no other choice. I just have to do my best not to let anyone die. I need to quickly pacify the southern town and resume my comfortable, freeloading life.”
I want to appreciate Flatty-chan, who showed me Kiri-san’s naked body. She had a good body.
Notes:
• Kaede – A female psionic explorer known as Necksplitter, is a veteran assassin and messenger of Lord Ichimatsu. Her appearance is both young and old, with gray hair streaked through black and vibrant, unlined skin. She is graceful yet carries the fatigue of a long life in war, resembling an old hunting dog. Her psionic ability is mysterious and potentially dangerous.
• Ichimatsu – A high-ranking figure associated with the Imperial Guard, mentioned as having spineless guards around him, with no further details provided.
• Natsume – A female companion and younger sister of Kaede-san, cared for by Kaede-san during their journey through the dangerous valley, at risk of infection from the parasitic creatures.
• Kiri – A female sniper and member of Kaede-san’s team, white-haired with sleepy eyes, wielding a disguised sniper rifle, known for her quick hands and slow speech, often joking in dire situations.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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