Chapter 47: The Forest Again

Author: Kurohitsuji
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2086fk/48/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

The next morning I get up and go straight to yesterday’s furniture shop and buy a big pillow.
The only one they had is a bit smaller than I am tall, but it can’t be helped. Better than none.

On the way back I stop at the inn for breakfast.
The fluffy omelet and crisp bacon are superb.
The mistress’s food really is delicious, yep.

While I’m at it I stop at the guild, and there’s a notice that the nearby forest’s no-entry has been lifted.
Herb-gathering requests have piled up so I think of taking one on the way, but I hear new adventurers take those, so I hold off.
Maybe I’ll take a forest subjugation instead.
If there are a lot of monsters, gathering requests are dangerous too.

I wasn’t the only one who thought to cut the monster numbers as much as possible; other adventurers are talking about going to subjugate forest monsters too.
Fumu. That thing. Everyone looks scary and they’re kind.
They’d probably deny it if you said so.

“Ou, miss. What’re you holding?”

While I’m grinning, a scary-faced adventurer calls out suddenly.
Ooh. His face is so scary I don’t know who for a second, but it’s the person who was kind when I first came to the guild.
Gordon, I think.

“Ah, hello. What, well. A pillow.”

It feels good to hold, somehow, so I’ve been hugging it the whole time.
A bit hard to walk, but it’s moffu moffu, so I just do.

“Why that… nah, whatever. You going to the forest too, miss?”
“Nn. That’s the plan.”
“That so. We’re going to subjugate, so if something happens while you’re gathering, say so.”
“…Eh?”

“Buhah!”
“…Fufu.”

“…Ah, no, I—”
“Don’t push it too much. If it gets dangerous, call for help right away.”

“Kukuku…”
“Fu, fufu…”

“…Umm. Nn, thanks.”
“Ou, later. Be careful.”

Somehow, first time in a while I’ve been worried about normally.
Weird. I’m just a town girl. They could worry a bit more.
Glad and Liza and so on.

“…And you there. What are you laughing at?”
“No, nothing. Right?”
“Gordon is kind, after all.”
“…I don’t feel quite settled, somehow.”

This treatment. For now I bop Glad with the pillow, bofun.

○○○○○○○○

I go home, put the pillow in the room, make strawberry-jam sandwiches for lunch, and head for the forest.
Now then. Work, work. A bit scary, but shall we.

The forest after a while still has low trees, and the branches get in the way; hard to fly.
Not like it’d change that fast. Can’t be helped; I’ll go on the ground.

“Ring. Map display, please.”
“—Searching… complete, displaying.”
“Ui, thanks.”

I look at the nearby map displayed in the corner of my vision.
Ooh, a fair number of people and monsters. All right, start nearby.

I put mana in both handguns and start running.
I’m used to running in the forest, so no problem.
I just watch not to step on stones and roots, and run.
First one, I confirm a goblin. Adjust mana and shoot.
With a small burst, I take it in one hit.
Yep, being able to attack from range is easy.
Even without Sakura-Drive, at this distance I’m not scared.
All right, let’s keep going.

○○○○○○○○

I snipe about ten. Elsewhere, the red points marking monsters keep vanishing too.
The adventurers are working hard. As expected of the professionals.

But. There’s one place that isn’t decreasing at all.
Shall I go here.

○○○○○○○○

When I arrive, it’s something else.
Gordon and them are fighting an insane number of goblins.
The adventurers fighting in a clump, goblins pressing in a half-circle.
But they could fall back; why aren’t they running.

I wonder, look closer, and behind Gordon and them there’s an adventurer hurt and unable to move.
Ah. Everyone’s covering that person. That’s why they can’t move sloppy.

From the look, the enemy has no coordination.
Meaning there shouldn’t be a goblin boss.

Then I’ll take them from the end that catches my eye.

“Ring.”
“—Sakura-Drive Ready.”

“Ignition.”

I run in from behind the goblins, scattering sakura-pink mana-light.

“It’s been a while since a group, but shall we dance flashy.”

Toward the battlefield, I run.

First. I kick the back of the knee, shoot as the stance breaks.
Second. I snipe the legs of one that turned this way. Headshot as it drops.
Third, I punch through a bigger one’s chest, and half the goblins look at me.

That’s right, come this way. Aim at me.

I run. I knock the swinging arm off with a gun butt, spin and switch places, punch through the back.
I kick it away as I am and snipe another caught in it.
I leap using a charging one’s arm as a step, kick the head away, spin on the recoil, immediately stretch a hand and shoot.
I concentrate in the right as I am. Instant mana compression; I snipe a far one’s head.
Punches through the brow as aimed.
Land. Immediately duck deep, slip a club and shoot the leg.
I set my aim as it staggers and headshot. Punches through the chest as aimed.
Goblins pressing one after another, I slip, dodge, throw off.
I punch through every one.
Gradually the enemy numbers drop.

Fighting and looking, Gordon’s side is already cleaned up.
Fast. As expected of veterans. I’ll finish here quick too.

I drop my hips. Plant the earth, left hand forward, right reverse-grip fixed beside my face.

Three left. I go lower still and advance.
I smash the feet with a gun butt and fire as the stance breaks. First one.
Then I turn on the ground, stretch up from a low stance and drive a leg straight up. I kick through the jaw and shoot the middle of the floating body. Second.
I spin with a foot toward the sky, kick away the one leaping in while slipping its downward swing.
That’s the last. I punch through head and chest at once.

“Ring.”
“—No mana readings: good work.”

“Situation over. Good work.”

I seat the handguns in the holster and look around.
In dancing sakura-pink, a huge number of goblins lie on the ground.

Oh. They were holding this many.
Normally you’d get crushed. Gordon and them are amazing.

“…Oi, miss.”
“Ah, hello. Gordon, you all right?”
“Ou. You, you weren’t an amateur.”

He points at me with a grim face.

“Eh? No, I’m just a town girl?”
“There’s no town girl like you!”

At that shout, everyone nods.
Eh, isn’t that mean? It’s the truth, though.

“Anyway we’ll take these guys back.”

Gordon lends a shoulder to the hurt adventurer.
Really good at looking after people. Face is scary, though.

“Ah, nn. Good work.”
“You be careful too, miss. Well, doesn’t look like you need the worry.”
“That isn’t true, though. Anyway, thanks for worrying.”
“Ou. You saved us today. Later.”
“Nn. See you.”

I wave bye-bye and see them off.
Now then. I’ll hunt a little more and go home.