手の脅威
さて、リーシェちゃんが仲間になってから多分三日ぐらい? 僕達は自分達の研磨を中心に依頼を受けていた。冒険者登録をしたリーシェちゃんもすぐにFランクに上がることが出来、雑魚魔獣を中心に魔獣討伐依頼を受けたりもするようになった。
正直な所、今の僕達のパーティはフィニアちゃんを主力におおよそEランクの魔獣なら倒せるレベルだと思う。
まぁ戦うのはフィニアちゃんだけなんだけど、森の中で出会った大きな狼も一撃だったことを考えれば、フィニアちゃんの戦闘能力はずば抜けているんじゃないだろうか? 魔力だけならリーシェちゃんのお父さん並だし。
そんな僕達の今のステータスはこんな感じだ。
名前:薙刀桔音
性別:男 Lv10(↑4UP)
筋力:40
体力:180
耐性:350
敏捷:210
魔力:100
称号:『異世界人』
スキル:『痛覚無効Lv2』『不気味体質』『異世界言語翻訳』『ステータス鑑定』『不屈』『威圧』『臨死体験』
名前:フィニア
性別:女 Lv21(↑5UP)
筋力:320
体力:820
耐性:150
敏捷:740
魔力:6000
称号:『片想いの妖精』
スキル:『光魔法Lv4』『魔力回復Lv4』『治癒魔法Lv3』『火魔法Lv5』『身体強化Lv2』
PTメンバー:◎薙刀桔音(人間)、ルル(獣人)、トリシェ(人間)
名前:トリシェ・ルミエイラ
性別:女 Lv25(↑2UP)
筋力:450
体力:600
耐性:90
敏捷:580
魔力:130
称号:『冒険者』『魔眼保有者』
スキル:『剣術Lv2』『先見の魔眼Lv0』『身体強化Lv2』『俊足』
固有スキル:『先見の魔眼』
PTメンバー:◎薙刀桔音(人間)、フィニア(妖精)、ルル(獣人)
と、こんな感じ。フィニアちゃんの伸び様が本当に異常だけど、僕の耐性も結構伸びて来てる。ちなみにルルちゃんはまだ戦うことが怖いみたいで、レベルは上がっていない。何も出来ていないと思ったのか、最近は僕の身の回りのお世話をし始めた。小剣の素振りは渡した日から毎日やっているようだけど、やっぱり戦闘をするにはもう少し勇気が必要らしい。
でも、リーシェちゃんが仲間になってから、彼女に素振りの指導してもらっているらしく、その太刀筋が鋭くなっている様だ。レベルが上がらなくても伸ばせるものはあるらしい。
「おはようミアちゃん」
「おはようございます、きつね様」
そんなこんなで、僕達は今ギルドへやってきていた。とりあえず、グランディール王国の話を聞く限り、奴隷の扱いが此処よりも酷いとのことで、ルルちゃんが魔獣を倒せる様になったら出発しようと思っている。
ちなみに、お手伝い系の依頼は続けている。僕は一人じゃ魔獣討伐の依頼を受けられないからね、リーシェちゃんとフィニアちゃんが魔獣討伐依頼を受けている間は、ルルちゃんとお手伝い系の依頼を受けているわけだ。
そのおかげか、国の人達が僕達に親しくしてくれる。やっぱり人々と依頼を通して触れ合っていれば自然と仲良くなれるみたいだ。ちょっと前に受けたペット捜索依頼のミリアちゃんとは、会うたびに世間話をしたりもする。
「今日はどのような御用件ですか?」
「例によって依頼だよ、今日はフィニアちゃんとリーシェちゃんが一緒だから、魔獣討伐依頼を受けようと思って」
僕とルルちゃんはHランクだけど、実はFランクの冒険者が一緒なら魔獣討伐依頼を受けることが出来る。まぁFランクの冒険者の人数を越えるHランク冒険者は連れていけないのだが。僕達の場合は、Fランクが二人、Hランクが二人だ、丁度連れていく事が出来る。
「そうですか......ところで、先日ヴァイス騎士団長と事を構えたと聞きましたが......なにをしたんですか?」
「娘さんを僕に下さい的なことを言ったら怒られた」
「ふざけ半分で言うことじゃないですね......」
どうやら三日経った今、騎士団長と僕の一件は国中に広まっているらしい。ミアちゃんもジト眼で見てくる。美人はジト眼でも似合うから得だよねぇ、僕がやったら地獄の底みたいな眼で見るなって言われたことがある。
「え、でも娘さんくれたよ?」
「嘘っ!?」
リーシェちゃんを指して言うと、ミアちゃんは驚愕の表情で素の反応をした。彼女は結構こういう素の表情を見せてくれるから中々面白い。
「まぁ、仲間としてだけど」
「あぁ......そうですか」
ほっとした様子で少し上がった腰を戻したミアちゃん。これはアレかな? 僕に恋人的な存在が出来たと焦った反応? もしかしてミアちゃん僕に気があったりする? そうだったらこんな美人に好かれる僕って本当に勝ち組なんじゃない?
まぁそんな訳ないけど。正直、僕が彼女に好かれるような要素は一つも無いしね。考えても見ろよ、初対面で巨乳発言した男だぞ僕は。挙句の果てに揉ませてとも言ったんだぜ? 夢見すぎだね。涙が出てきた。
「きつねさーん! この依頼受けたい!」
「どれどれ? あっは、やっぱ読めねぇ」
「どれだ? えーっと......え、ちょっとこれは......」
「何? 何なのリーシェちゃん、どんな依頼なの?」
「あ、ああ......森の中に生息する『
暴喰蜘蛛
確かに今のフィニアちゃんなら倒せるであろう、僕らにとって因縁の相手だけど、正直あの森に入るのは気が引ける。
あの森には――――『赤い夜』がいる。
しかも、今考えればあの怪物と出会ったのはこの国に近い場所だった。あれから一週間以上経っているからいなくなっていてもおかしくはないけれど、まだあの辺をうろうろしている可能性もある。
調べた限りじゃ、『赤い夜』は敵対した相手を骨も残さず喰らい尽くすという話だし、左眼だけ取られた僕は若干例外な感じはするけど、強い事には変わりない......ぶっちゃけ会いたくはない。僕の唯一のトラウマだよアレ。
「ねぇフィニアちゃん―――」
「これ受けまーす!」
「はい、受注しました」
「.........」
考えている内にフィニアちゃんが勝手に依頼を受けていた。待って、少し考えれば分かるじゃん、あの怪物いるかもしれないんだよ? 分かる? 今度は左眼じゃ済まないかもしれないんだよ? その辺ちょっと話し合おうか。
「大丈夫だよきつねさん!」
「きつねさんは私が護るから!」
―――そんな笑顔で言うことじゃない、けど、そう言われたら僕が臆病者みたいじゃないか。
全く、仕方ないな......分かった分かった、行けばいいんだろう? あの怪物に遭わないことを願いながら、とりあえずはこの向日葵みたいな笑顔を信じてみるとしよう。
「......分かったよ、でも蜘蛛以外は戦わないからね」
「うん!」
「それじゃミアちゃん、行ってきます」
「......気を付けてくださいね」
ミアちゃんも怪物の話をしたからか少し不安そうだ、そりゃそうだろう、僕も怪物に再会したら怖い。
でも......フィニアちゃんは強い、今はそれを信じよう。
◇ ◇ ◇
依頼を受けて、そのまま森へと向かった僕達。『赤い夜』は夜行性、まだ空が明るい内に依頼をこなしたい。達成期日は二週間、まだまだ時間はあるけど正直何度も森に入るのは遠慮したい。今日中になんとか出来れば良いけど。
「なぁきつね、なんでお前武器を持って来ていないんだ?」
「ルルちゃんにあげたんだ、僕は武器を使えないからね」
「武器も持たずにこの森に入ったのか......まぁこのパーティのリーダーはお前だから、強く言うつもりはないが......武器は持った方が良いと思う」
「だよねー......えーと」
リーシェちゃんの言うことは御尤も。武器も持たずに魔獣と戦うのは馬鹿げている。僕の耐性能力値が高いとはいえ、恐らく筋力300以上の攻撃は防げないだろう。つまりFランク以上の冒険者の攻撃は防げないのだ。勿論、魔獣だって雑魚しか相手に出来ない。
ちなみに雑魚魔獣はランクが付かない。正真正銘、雑魚だ。強いて言うのなら、Hランク魔獣、僕と同じだね。
「これでいいや」
僕はその辺に落ちていた木の棒を拾って軽く振る。軽いし、消耗品だから失っても悲しくない。僕の筋力じゃ本格的な武器なんて使いこなせないし、これ以上伸びるわけでもないからね。
「......まぁいい」
まだ何か言いたげだったけど、これ以上何か言っても無駄だと思ったんだろう。リーシェちゃんは口を閉ざした。
「きつね様......あ、あれ」
「ん、ルルちゃんなに―――ああ......久しぶりだね」
ルルちゃんの言葉で前を見ると、そこにはかつて僕の命を脅かした......また僕の力を見出させてくれた相手がいた。
―――蜂
十数体もの人間の頭サイズの蜂がそこにいた。お尻には弾丸のように射出出来る小さな針が、振動するようの動く羽が煩く羽音を立てている。
でも、不思議と初見の時より怖くない。一度破ったからか、それとも自分が強くなったからか、それは分からない。
「どうする、きつね......あの蜂の針には麻痺毒があるが」
「うんまぁ知ってる。でも大丈夫だよ、蜘蛛以外は無視していくから」
「どうやって......」
蜂達には感謝している部分もあるけれど、それでも今回の目的はあくまで蜘蛛、僕達が出会って狩り損ねたあの大蜘蛛だ。
『不気味体質』を発動する。すると蜂達は脱兎のごとく僕達の前から猛スピードで消えて行った。威嚇というわけではないけど、このスキルはやっぱり便利だね。弱い奴はこれで逃げてくれるから。
僕としては進んで戦いたい訳じゃないから、逃げてくれるのなら追い掛けない。
「父様の時も思ったが、お前何をしたんだ?」
「ちょっと威圧しただけだよ」
僕のこのスキルはプレッシャーじゃなくて、ある意味相手の精神に干渉するスキルだから周囲から見たら何をしているのか分からない。『威圧』なら周囲にプレッシャーを振りまくスキルだから分かりやすいけどね。そういう意味でも便利だな。
そう言って、僕達は更に奥へと進む。
「きつねさんきつねさん! 手!」
「何言ってんの?」
少し進んだ所で、フィニアちゃんが興奮した様子で何かを指差していた。その指の先は地面を指しており、見てみるとそこには見覚えのある魔獣がいた。
見た目は右手だが、手首のあたりまでで、そこには人間の口が付いていた。以前森を抜ける時にも見たモンスターである。確か名前は、『喰らい手』、前会った時は戦わずにスルーした相手だけど、スライム的なモンスターだろうと思っている。
そう思っていると、
「く、喰らい手......!? なぜこんな魔獣が......!?」
リーシェちゃんの反応はそうでなかった。まるでこの世の最後を見た様な表情、どうしたんだろうと思う。ステータスを見る限り筋力以外はオール1という最弱のステータスだし、スキルだって特筆して特別なものはない。恐れるには値しないと思うんだけど。
「き、きつね......そいつには一切触れるな、けして敵対してはいけない!」
「え? どうして?」
の超危険魔獣だ!」
「っ!?」
そう聞いて、僕はその手から一歩下がる。まさかそんなに危険な魔獣だなんて思わない、だってこいつはそんな特別なステータスをもっていないんだから。どういうことだ?
「どういうこと? リーシェちゃん......」
「奴の名前は『喰らい手』、魔獣にして魔王と同等の危険度を持つ化け物だ。単体ではそんなに危険ではないが、恐ろしいのはその数だ」
「数?」
「奴らはこの世界全域に渡って生息している魔獣で、確認されているだけでもおおよそ60億もの個体が存在しているんだ」
60億!? 元の世界の人類と同じ数じゃないか、まさかそんなに大量に手が存在しているだなんて......!
「奴らは全ての個体が何か思念のようなもので繋がっているらしくて、1体を殺せば全ての個体が殺しにくるんだ。つまり、1体見つけたらそれは60億の脅威と立ち向かっていると見て良い......!」
おいおい嘘だろ......今目の前にいるこの手の怪物が、60億もの数になって襲い掛かってくるだなんて、ぞっとしないな。確かに魔王だろうとそれだけの数がいれば脅威になるってわけか。
「まぁ攻撃しない限りは人は襲わない、遭遇したら絶対に攻撃しないで素通りするんだ」
「分かった......」
「魔獣や魔族ですら恐れる魔獣だ、その性質故に最も弱く、最も強い魔獣だと言われている」
あっぶねー、最初会った時素通りして良かった。あの時攻撃してたら僕達あそこで死んでたね。スケール大きすぎだろ手なのに、手なのに!
とはいえ、それだけ数がいれば探せばすぐ見つかると思うんだけど、この1体以外には見当たらないな。
「そんなにいるなら喰らい手って探せばもっといそうなものだけど......」
「ああ、奴らは基本的に地中にいるらしいからな、地上に出ているのは60億の中でも数万体ほどだ」
「ああ、そうなんだ」
地中にいるって事は、1体殺した瞬間周囲の地面から喰らい手が大量に現れてもおかしくないって事か......怖いな、その光景。でもそれが分かっているって事は一回それをやった奴がいるって事だよね、その時はどうなったんだろう?
「ねぇリーシェちゃん」
「喰らい手を殺した時の話ってないの?」
「ああ......過去一番大きな話だと、シュヴァリエ帝国の話だな......喰らい手を駆逐しようとして、60億もの喰らい手に壊滅させられた国だ......」
うわぁ......ご愁傷さまだね、その国。
なるほど、それ以降喰らい手には逆らわない敵対しない干渉しないってことになっている訳か、その気になったら喰らい手達この世界制服出来るんじゃない?
まぁその辺温厚な魔獣ってだけで嬉しい事実だけど。
「......行ったね、手」
「行ったね! 手!」
前と同じ感想を言葉にして、過ぎ去って行った脅威を前にほっと息を吐いた。ルルちゃんなんて青褪めた表情をしていたから、二度と会わないことを願うよ。
リーシェちゃんの話が本当ならあの喰らい手には敵う奴がいないってことだからね。魔王ですら勝てないんだから。
「最強だね、喰らい手......」
「ああ......噂だと何処かに喰らい手に敵対して生き延びた二人組がいるとかなんとかだが......まぁただの噂だろう」
「なにその怪物二人組」
火の無い所に煙は立たない、もしかしたらそんな二人がいるのかもしれないね。もしいたら会ってみたいものだよ。人間ならね。
僕達はそんな会話をしながら、蜘蛛を探しに再度動きだした。
Threat of hand
Well then, perhaps three days has passed since Rishe-chan became our comrade? We took the most suited request to polish our respective field of expertise. Rishe-chan who just recently registered as an adventurer was also immediately able to advances to F rank, so we were intending to take a subjugation request of some small fry magical beast.
To be honest, with Finia-chan as the main force of our party, I think we should be able to take down an E rank magical beast.
Well, the one who'll fight it is Finia-chan, though, considering the fact that she could instant kill the wolf shaped magical beast we encountered inside the forest, isn't Finia-chan battle ability is quite outstanding? Magical power-wise, hers is equaling Rishe-chan's father, after all.
And so, our current statuses are something like these.
Name                        : Naginata Kitsune
Gender                     : Male Lv. 10 (| UP 4)
Strength                   : 40
Stamina                    : 180
Resistance               : 350
Agility                       : 210
Magic Power          : 100
Title                           :{Other worlder} 
Skill                            : {Pain Nullification Lv.2}  {Eerie Constitution}  {Other World Language}  {Status Appraisal}  {Persistence}  {Overpower}  {Other worlder}  {Near Death Experience} 
Name                        : Finia
Gender                     : Female Lv. 21 (| UP 5)
Strength                   : 320
Stamina                    : 820
Resistance               : 150
Agility                       : 740
Magic Power          : 6000
Title                           :{Fairy of Unrequited Love} 
Skill                            : {Light Magic Lv.4}  {Magic Recovery LV.4}  {Recovery Magic Lv.3}  {Fire Magic Lv.5}  {Body Reinforcement Lv.2} 
PT Member             : Naginata Kitsune (Human), Lulu (Beastman), Trisha (Human)
Name                        : Trisha Rumiela
Gender                     : Female Lv. 25 (| UP 2)
Strength                   : 450
Stamina                    : 600
Resistance               : 90
Agility                       : 580
Magic Power          : 130
Title                           :{Adventurer} {Demon Eye Holder} 
Skill                            : {Sword Art Lv.2}  {Demon Eye of Foresight Lv.1}  {Body Reinforcement Lv.2}  {Swift} 
Innate skill              : {Demon Eye of Foresight} 
PT Member             : Naginata Kitsune (Human), Finia (Fairy), Lulu (Beastman)
Something like those. Finia-chan's statuses growth is indeed abnormal, but my resistance is also considerably increased. By the way, since seems like Lulu-chan is still scared to fight, her level hasn't increased. Whether does she thought she hadn't done anything, recently she started to take care of my belonging.
But, ever since Rishe-chan became our comrade, seems like Lulu-chan receives a guidance about how to swing the sword from her, and make her swordsmanship become sharper. Even if her level doesn't increased, seems like there's still some improvement at her.
"Good morning, Mia-chan."
"Good morning, Kitsune-sama."
After this and that, right now we come to the guild. First of all, after we heard that seems like the treatment of slave at Grandile Kingdom is way harsher than here, I thought about letting Lulu-chan to fight magical beast.
By the way, I keep doing the chores request. Since if I do it by myself I won't be able to defeat the magical beast, after all, so I asked Rishe-chan and Finia-chan to undertake the subjugation request, when I and Lulu-chan take the chores request.
Because of that, people of this country are quite close to us. As expected, if we take a request which require us to make a contact with people, seems like we'll naturally be on good terms with them. I even would always have a little chat with Milia-chan, who put up the pet search request, whenever we met at the town.
"Today, what kind of business do you have here?"
"Same as usual, but since right now we're together with Finia-chan and Rishe-chan, I'm intending to take a subjugation request."
I and Lulu-chan are H rank, but since we're together with F rank adventurers so we're able to take a subjugation request. Well, the majority of F rank adventurer won't bother to take along some H rank adventurer, though. As for us, we have two F rank, and two H rank, and so we're able to take it.
"I see... by the way, I hear that you had some skirmish with Vaiz the knight leader some days ago, but... what did you do?"
"He just mad because I said something along please give your daughter to me."
"That wasn't something funny even as a joke, after all...."
After three day passed, seems like the matter about me and the knight leader has spread through the whole country. Even Mia-chan is also staring fixedly at me. To be stared by a beauty, since it's suits her so it's quite a pleasant thing, isn't it? If I was the one who did it then I'm sure they would say don't look at me with that hell-like eyes of yours, or so.
"Eh, but I got his daughter, you know?"
"No way!?"
When I point at Rishe-chan, Mia-chan plainly reacts with a surprised expression. To see her makes such plain expression, it's quite amusing.
"Well, as a comrade, though."
"Ah... I see."
With a relieved expression, Mia-chan returns to her usual posture. It's that, right? She was flustered because I have a girlfriend like existence, wasn't she? Could it be Mia-chan has something at me? If that's really the case, to be liked by such beauty, aren't I seems like a real winner here?
Well, there's no way it would be true, isn't it? To be honest, I don't even have a single part of me which would make her fell for me, after all. Just look at the reality, I was the man who addressed her as booby at our first encounter, you know? I even asked her to let me to fondle them, you know? So that is just a dream beyond dream. My eyes are sweating.
"Kitsune-san! I want to take this request!"
"Which one? Ah, as I thought I can't read it."
"Which one? Umm... eh, wait, this is...."
"What? What's up Rishe-chan, what kind of request is it?"
"Ah, umm... a subjugation of an{Arachne} which lives inside the forest."
Arachne... that spider, huh!
Indeed, the current Finia-chan should be able to defeat it, isn't she? For us it's something akin to our destined enemy, but to be honest I'm a bit reluctant to enter that forest.
Inside that forest... {Red Night} was there.
Moreover, if I think about it, our encounter with it was quite close to this country. Since it has been over a week already since that day so it won't be strange for it to has disappeared, but there's a possibility that it's still loitering around there.
Upon investigation, I heard that{Red Night} would devour the one it encountered without even left a single bone of it, I was the exception to be left after just taking my left eye, but the fact that I was dying wasn't changed... to be frank I don't want to meet it. It becomes my one and only trauma.
"Say, Finia-chan--"
"We'll take it!"
"Yes, I've confirmed it."
"...."
When I was thinking about it, Finia-chan arbitrarily took the request. Wait, you should be able to understand it by thinking about it a little, perhaps that monster is still there, you know? Do you know? Perhaps the next time it won't be settled by just my right eye you know? How about we discus about it more.
"No problem, Kitsune-san!"
"Since I'll protect Kitsune-san, after all."
--don't say that with that kind of smile, but, if she says so then don't I look like a coward, here?
Good grief, it can't be helped... got it, got it, I just need to go there, right? While wishing to not encounter that monster, for now let's believe her sunflower-like smile.
"...I get it, but we won't fight other than the spider, you hear?"
"Yup!"
"Well then, Mia-chan, we're going."
"...please be careful."
Since I had told Mia-chan about that monster, she seems a bit worried, that's a matter of course, right? Even I'm also scared to meet that monster again, after all.
But... Finia-chan is strong, right now let's just believe in it.
* * *
Taking the request, we immediately go to the forest.  {Red Night} is a nocturnal, so I want to undertake this request when the sky is still bright. The time limit is two weeks, we still have very much time but to be honest I want to restrain myself from entering the forest too often. I hope we could finish it today, though.
"Say Kitsune, why do you not bring any weapon?"
"I gave it to Lulu-chan, since I can't use it, after all."
"To enter this forest without any weapon... well, since you're the leader of this party so I don't have any intention to ordering you or anything, but... I think it would be better if you bring some weapon."
"You're right... hmm."
What Rishe-chan said is completely right. I might indeed look like a fool to intend fighting a magical beast without any weapon. Even if my resistance status is high, perhaps it won't be able to withstand an attack from an existence with over 300 strength, isn't it? So that means, I can't withstand an attack from any adventurers above F rank. Of course, I also can't fight other than small fry magical beasts, either.
By the way, small fry magical beast don't have a rank. A genuine, small fry. If it's according its power, then it's H rank magical beast, same as me.
"I'm good with it."
Picking a fallen tree stick around there, I lightly swing it. It's light, and since it's a disposable item so I won't be troubled even if I lost it. With my strength I won't be able to use a real weapon, and it also has no sign will increased either, after all.
"...well, whatever."
She seems like still has something to says, but perhaps she thought that even if she says anything further it would be in vain, so Rishe-chan keeps her mouth shut.
"Kitsune-sama... th, that."
"Hmm, what's up Lulu-chan-- ah... it's been a long time, isn't it."
When I turn my eyes according to Lulu-chan's words, the one there is the existence which once threatened my life... it was also the existence which pulled out my power.
--bee.
Around ten human's head-sized bees are there. At its bottom, there's a little needle which could be shot like a bullet, and its vibrating wings are emitting a very noisy sounds.
But, surprisingly I'm not scared like how I was. Whether it because I had defeated it once, or perhaps because I've grown stronger, I don't know.
"What should we do, Kitsune... there's a paralysis poison at that bee's needles."
"Yup, well I know it. But no problem, since we'll ignore all magical beasts other than the spider, after all."
"How...."
I have my share of thanks to those bees, but even so, in the end today's objective is the spider. That's why, I'll have them disappear for now.
I activate my {Eerie Constitution} . And then those bees immediately disappeared from our field of view with a great speed. This skill doesn't means for intimidating, but this skill sure is convenient. Since with this all weaklings are running away, after all.
Personally I have no intention to fight them, so I won't chase them if they run away.
"I've been curious about it ever since the case with my father, but, what did you do?"
"I just overpowered them a bit."
This skill of mine isn't giving pressure to my opponent, since it's just intervening with my opponent's mind so my surrounding won't know what I have done.  Since{Overpower}  is a skill which gives pressure to its surrounding, it's easy to understand. In that sense this skill sure is convenient.
Saying so, we advance to the deeper part of the forest.
"Kitsune-san! Kitsune-san! Hand!"
"What do you mean?"
When we're walking through the forest, Finia-chan is excitedly pointing out her finger to something. Her finger is pointed to the ground, when I look at it, the one there is a certain magical beast I recognized.
Its appearance is just a right hand, but there's a human mouth attached at it till around its wrist. It was the monster we encountered when we came out from the forest. If I remember it correctly, its name is {Eater hand} , we ignored it when we encountered it before, though, since I thought it was just a slime-like monster.
When I thought so,
"E, eater hand...!? Why such magical beast is...!?"
Rishe-chan's reaction said that that isn't the case. Her expression is as if she sees the end of the world, what's up? Or so I thought. Upon checking its status, it has the weakest status with all 1 point other than its strength, it even has no special looking skill either. I thought there's nothing worth to be feared about, though.
"Ki, Kitsune... don't ever touch it, perish the thought of fighting it."
"Eh? Why?"
"It's-- a very dangerous magical beast of S rank (. . . .)!"
"!?"
When I hear that, I take a step back from that hand. I never thought it would be such a dangerous magical beast, since it has no special looking skill, after all. What it means?
"What do you mean? Rishe-chan...."
"Its name is {Eater hand} , as a magical beast, it's a dangerous monster with threat equaling demon lord. Individually it isn't that dangerous, but the terrifying part of it is its number."
"Number?"
"It's a magical beast which live through this whole world, the confirmed one are counted to be around six billions."
Six billions!? Isn't that equivalent with all mankind at my former world, I never thought that there's such large quantity of hand existed...!
"Since seems like all of their thought are somewhat connected to each other, so if you killed even one of it, all of its specimen will come to kill you. So that means, when you find one of it, just think you're facing a six billions worth of threat of it...!"
Oioioi, you're joking, right?... The hand monster before us, to attack us with six billions number is, it's shuddering, isn't it. Indeed, even for the demon lord, to fight against such number sure is a threat, isn't it?
"Well, it won't attack the one who don't attack it, so when you encounter it you should just go pass by without attacking it."
"Got it...."
"It's a magical beast with threat equaling the demonkin, even if individually it's called to be the weakest, but going by its nature, it's called to be the strongest magical beast."
How dangerous~, thanks god I ignored it when I encountered it before. If we attacked it then we would be had dead there, weren't we? Even though you're just a hand, your scale is damned too big, aren't you? Even though you're just a hand!
Be that as it may, I thought with that number we should be able to easily find it when we search for it, but I don't see other than this one hand.
"With that number, I thought that we should be able to see more of this eater hand, but...."
"Ah, seems like they're basically live underground, after all, the one on the surface would be just around ten thousands among its six billions."
"Ah, I see."
To live underground, that means when we kill one of it, it won't be strange that a large amount of eater hand would immediately appeared from the ground, huh... how scary, that spectacle. But to be able to know that, that means there should be someone who had done it before, wasn't it? Just what happened at that time?
"Say Rishe-chan."
"Did there someone who ever killed an eater hand?"
"Ah... in the past it become one of the greatest tale, the tale about the Chevalier Kingdom... when they subjugated some eater hands, that kingdom was annihilated by six billions eater hands...."
Uwaah.... My condolences, to that country.
I see, so from thereon it was decided that one shouldn't intervene or hold hostility to any eater hand, huh, if they feel like it then don't eater hands should be able to conquer the world?
Well, the fact that they're just such passive magical beasts is the sole pleasant fact, though.
"...way to go, hand."
"Way to go! Hand!"
Saying the same impression as before, we exhaled for passing by the threat before us. Since Lulu-chan has a pale expression, I hope we won't encounter any if it ever again.
If what Rishe-chan said is true then there's no existence that could defeat that eater hand, isn't it. Since even demon lord can't defeat it, after all.
"It sure is the strongest, isn't it, this eater hand...."
"Yes... there's a rumor that there was a pair who survived after fighting those eater hands... well, perhaps that's just a rumor, though."
"What's up with that monster like pair."
There's no smoke without fire, perhaps that pair is really exist. If that's really the case then I really want to meet them. If they're human, that's it.
While chatting like that, we start searching for the whereabouts of the spider again.
I Kinda Came to Another World, but Where’s the Way Home?
【書籍化】異世界来ちゃったけど帰り道何処？
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-kinda-came-to-another-world-but-wheres-the-way-home/
Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Harem Shounen Slice of Life
Apathetic Protagonist Bullying Calm Protagonist Demi-Humans Demon Lord Demons Dense Protagonist Fairies Game Elements Ghosts Heterochromia Knights Level System Male Protagonist Murders Naive Protagonist R-15 Royalty R*pe S*aves Sword And Magic Transported to Another World Weak Protagonist Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2650bx/
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