Hey, chapter 22 is here (^_^)/
Thanks for the editor Panacea-san
Please enjoy\(^ ○ ^)/
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"Just so you know, Kena has the most meat among us"
Perika started, inching away slowly.
"Y-yeah! Look at that chest! She stored all the fat there!"
Parika added, joining her sister.
"Loads of fat!"
"Loads of it!"
Perika and Parika were pointing at Kena's chest while talking with Mark.
*Ga-shu*
Using both of her hands, Kena was grinding the twins' face
"What about 'fat' HUH?! Did you two just say I'm FAT HUH?! Which part of me is FAT HUH?! HUUHH?!"
"T-the claw! The claw!"
"It's digging in my face! Hurts! It HURTS!"
Mark is looking at the noisy group, murmuring under his breath while holding his injured arm.
"What are those guys doing?"
It was because of you! Because of the story!
After we finish our lunch, Perika and Parika start making some distance between them and Mark. They kept saying things like :
"We're small and thin!"
"We keep forgetting to eat! Our meat must be bitter!"
"Right! Bitter and not much meat!"
"We're bitter and undelicious!"
That is why you should just told us what happened to your friend! Did you eat it? Or not? You didn't, right?!
Elma suddenly tugged at my sleeve and looked at me with timid eyes
"U-um! The magic diagram is already finished!"
We advance deeper into floor after lunch and encounter the black Rihog's nest, a plant type monster with sharp leaves, many tiny round feets which looked really disgusting, and a black bud on the top of its head. Despite their big bodies, black Rihogs can move really fast. They attack with their long, sharp leaves and cut their targets to pieces. For my group, to run and avoid their leaves isn't so hard, but for a beginner adventurer, their attacks are almost impossible to dodge. Rick has some severe cuts after being pulled by Kena and Mark was injured because he was proctecting Elma.
Those kind of injuries are easily healed after drinking some potion but Elma insisted to heal Rick and Mark by herself.
"It's my job as a healer!"
Said Elma with teary eyes.
Like I said before, beastkin can't use magic and those who can are rare existences. Althought they can't cast a spell, they can use magic diagrams. Unlike regular spells, magic diagrams use mana from nature. Its like a solar panel, that generate electricity by using the sun's energy to create power. The magic diagram is the solar panel, made by hand with materials from outside while the activation switch is magic incantation. After you make the magic diagram, you need to speak out a long incantation before it activated.
This method are new for people from beast continent and unpopular. It did increase beastkin's interest at first, but the long incantation, long process of drawing magic diagrams, and the limited number of the magic diagram formulae makes people dislike to use them, 'you will die before you finish them', that what people on the tavern said. It didn't take long for people start to lose interest towards magic diagrams. I'm quite surprised to see someone still using them.
Elma finished her long incantation and the magic diagram started to glow softly. The wound closed up slowly and left some scars.
Even the healing effect is much weaker than normal magic potion...
Looking at her result, Elma downcast her eyes while holding back her tears
"..I'm so sorry for being useless.."
"Wh-what are you saying Elma? You healed us and sir Crev's party member, now they can save up their potions because of you! R-right?"
Rick tried comforting Elma and looked at us.
Well, It was Mark who was healed, so we let him decide.
"...."
Seeing Mark's lack of response, Rick bit his lips and looked down, frustated.
"....it actually healed pretty nicely for a magic diagram. I heard there are some magic diagrams that went wrong during the process of incantation, but it seems they just weren't as good as you"
Mark looked at the two kids in font of him with a smile and patted their heads.
"Thanks"
Elma and Rick looked at Mark, relieved, but then they looked really sad.
"..."
Suddenly Perika and Parika clung to Mark's arms and glared at Rick and Elma
"Our brother"
The both of them said in sync.
"..we're not even related.."
Despite Mark's remark, the twins did not let go Mark's hands and he was forced to walk in uncomfortable position for a while.
"...Th-there are more than one path up ahead"
"Y-yeah"
A few hours after walking deeper, Elma and Rick suddenly talked with monotone voices.
Just as Elma said, there are three paths in front of us. Usually, Mark is the one who's deciding which path we will take. Mark took a glance right and left, and he started to whispering to himself
"....."
He's doing that again! Every time we encounter more than one road, he'll stop and follow that strange habit of his.
"Let's go to the left!"
Rick suggested.
"R-right! Other adventurers usually take the third path at this part!"
Elma added.
"...we better not"
Mark started to take the first path
"N-no! The the first part are full of..uh.. traps! Right full of traps"
Rick started
"T-true! The third one is the safest! The other adventurer talk about it often!"
His sister added.
"No, there are many gho-..."
Gho-? Gho-o what?
"..-oother reason we should not go that way. This one is the safest"
Mark insisted. This is getting suspicious, is there something they aren't telling us ?
"H-how did you know that one is the safest!? This one is!" The young boy insisted
"Like I said, there are many reason for me to not take that path! This way."
Mark is signaling us to move toward the first path. As we start walking, Rick and Elma become increasingly agitated. No longer able to hold back, Elma clenched her staff tightly and dashed towards the third path.
"We're in this city longer than you do! This one is the safest!"
Suprised by her suddenly running, Rick hastily run after Elma to the third path.
"Wait! Elma!"
"!? Don't go over there! The others told me that path is dangerous!"
Before Mark finished his sentence, Rick's figure was already gone, leaving our group shocked with the sudden change. Mean while I was shocked with completely other reason.
WAIT, who are the 'others' Mark talking about?! There is no one beside us here!
With her timid voice, Lila is the first one to break the silence.
"...u-um, we better go after them right?"
"Aren't those two a bit weird"
Just like Kena said, the both of them are really bad at lying. But why would they persistently lead us to the wrong direction? I didn't sense any ill intent from them, on contrary they seemed to feel guilt toward us
"*sigh*... we go after them, right?"
Mark ask me with his tired voice.
Since I have [Detector] skill, if Mark decided the paths we take are dangerous, I will be the one who take charge.
I activated [Mapping] skill and turn it into [Auto-Mapping], activated [Detector] skill and [Analyzing Eyes]. By the way, now I can control my [Analyzing Eyes] better thanks to Shena's tortu-...training program. With these skills activated, I can see the dungeon paths, the position of every living being in it, their name and their level. Personally I think this combination is another cheat. But activating those skill at the same time will drain my mana like crazy! And I tend to collapse with heavy headaches, its truly terrifying...
My time limit is fifteen minutes, the longer I activate them, the longer I will be sick in the bed. So lets finish this quickly...
The first path is actually the safest, second path is full of trap, ending up as a dead end. The third path is....
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
"!?"
There are many number of white spider in the third path, mostly at level of 28!
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-Rick's POV-
"Elma! Wait!"
As I call her, she starts slowing down. When she realizes that I'm the only one who is running after her, she look relieved but also frustated. She clenched her staff tightly and started crying.
"*SOB*"
I know she's really confused right now. Sir Crev, bigbro Mark, the twins, bird lady and miss Lila are nice people.
And we tried to use them...
"......"
I clench my fist and bit my lips.
How did it become like this?
We made our living by doing small jobs until now and we were happy.
Me, Elma and big brother Dema.
It started with a simple book and lousy scribbles.
One day big brother Dema came home with one old looking magic book.
We beastkin can't use magic, that's why I can't see the use of this book he bought. He wasted three months worth of food on that stupid book, I almost threw my sword at him because of that.
"Don't you know people in ancient times usually used to write down some formula if they wanted to summon the hero? They did that because the spell needed massive mana quantities and spell chanting to activate them. If I can transcript magic spells into magic formulae, then maybe, we the beastkin can also use magic!"
That what bigbro Dema told me with his eyes full of hope. At first, me and Elma did nothing about it as long he compensated the money. But, after more than six months of scribbling here and there everyday, one of bigbro's experiment actually succeeded. He managed to created a huge lump with earth magic diagram. After that, everything went really fast. A nobleman gave money to us so we could develop more and stronger magic diagrams, people started praising bigbro, and we actually made some new magic diagrams to be presented towards many people. Many people started to learn under bigbro and many people gave their money as investment to us.
Things start smoothly at first
And then, everything goes wrong
People started complaining on how long to write the magic diagram and chant the incantation. When people were fighting monsters, they kept getting disturbed when writing the diagram. As healing magic diagram, it effects is much weaker and slower than healing potions, many adventurer died before they finished the diagram.
Bigbro's reputation went down really quick, the nobles demanded compensation for their loss but we didn't have any money with us.
The noble wanted to sell us to the slave dealer but bigbro managed to stop them
"Wait! Even if you sold the three of us, it won't cover your loss! This two kids are talented adventurers! Rather than selling them, give them chance!"
Shout bigbro out of desperation.
We never hunted any monster before, there is no way we are talented adventurer.
The noble let me and Elma to pay the debt as an adventure. With time limit of three months and bigbro as their hostage or we will sold to the slave dealer.
"Don't worry about me! Just run away from this city! Please.....take care Elma for me okay"
Bigbro whisper to me before we part.
"Sorry for dragging you two in this mess"
With faint smile, that was the last words he said to me.
We tried our best to gather the money, we tried to get into famous adventure groups, even only as errand boys, we tried our best. But they treated us like a trash, more over once the knew we were once involved in magic diagram development, their treatment become more harsher everyday and then they stop paying us so we left.
We tried to work at noble houses, rejected because of our background.
We are at loss
Should we run and leave bigbro alone?
But, when I saw the teary face of Elma, I just can't do such thing...
Unlike me who has got no relative, Elma's only blood relative is bigbro Dema. The two of them were kind enough to pick me from the slums.
I don't want us to be apart.... at least, I want Elma and her brother to be together. It would be better if I was the one they held as hostage...then the both of them could run away together
When I suggested that, Elma actually slapped my face.
"Are you an idiot?! There is no way we will leave you behind! You are our family now!"
She cried hard after that, even though it was me who got slapped....
Bigbro Dema was clumsy and easily distracted with things he liked. Elma is a cry baby and easily got depressed.
But they are my perfect family
I don't want us to be apart....
What should we do?
I held my tears as I comfort her....
One day, a high pay quest suddenly put on board.
[Black Golem subjugation]
Kill and gather black golem core.
Time limit: one week
Reward: 200 gold coins each
Rank: -
The quest don't have any specific rank in it, that mean, me and Elma can do the quest. But the weakest black golem are at level 26 and they are a D rank monsters.
The both of us are only at level 5. Taking this quest is the same as having a death wish.
.....but maybe, it doesn't have to be us who will be fighting the black golems....
If we can get some adventurer group and trap them into fighting the black golems, we can steal the black golem core while they are fighting them...
With that kind of idea, we managed to deceive several groups, we never felt guilty as the group we chose always treated us like trash, just like our previous group....but it was still not enough to pay our debt...
The time limit is almost up and it getting harder to find another adventure group as our ex-group tends to search for us at the adventure guild.
Three days before the time limit is up, we actually manage to get a party. Several bulky men with scary faces, they also like to belittle us...just like any other group...
'They will be a perfect target' that what I thought at first. But it turned out that they were the ones targeting us...
We were in a pinch. I was frustrated for not being able to protect Elma.
Then I meet him.
A boy that seems not older than us
Small body
And weird mask
Strangely, he was very strong
He could throw the bulky men around and evaded their attacks without any problem. In a blink of eye, he put those men out cold...
Maybe, if it this guy...we can gather more gold by using him...
That what we were thinking at first...
Sir Crev and his party were different from other party.
They didn't make fun of us when they heard Elma is a healer...
They didn't make us to carry their bags...
They treated us delicious food...
They didn't abandon us when we encountered enemies...
...they are kind people...
When we realizes this, we felt guilty and hesitated to lead them to the wrong path..
But we need money for pay the debt or we will never see bigbro ever again...
If they take the first path, they will encounter the adult altractian spider's nest and their quest will be complete.While we still need more black golem cores as the time limit is almost up.
That is when Elma started running on her own...
Now she is crying in front of me as we stand still...
"*sob*sob*....I-I don't want to...*hic*...b-but...bigbro...*hic*...w-we need to pay..*hic*.."
Taking her hand, I try to soothe her
"...let just get back and apologize to them.."
Elma only nodded at me as she was still sobbing...
Only a little bit later I realized, there is something walking above us, on the ceiling as we were talking to each other..
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Thank you for reading (^_^)/