Third Outer World Story Series: Pumpkin Sorcerer - Chapter 14

Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

“Hiiee… I somehow made it here…”

“Oh, Pumpkin… what a disaster you are dealing with back there.”

Having been on a desperate escape from a mass of animals, Pumpkin managed to outrun the onslaught and reached Lake Accumulation where Mizuki was.

Even as he was fleeing towards here, the number of animals pursuing him kept multiplying. When the boars came storming at him from all directions once, he really thought he was going to meet his death.

By the time he arrived at Lake Accumulate, though, they had abandoned all attempts to approach the lake’s shore, maybe owing to Mizuki’s presence or out of fear for the master of this place.

Though to be fair, they didn’t even attempt to run away from Pumpkin. 

Why are they so insistent?

“So why did you retreat this way? It is true that there are few people who would try to do something rash here because of my presence, but…”

“I thought you might be able to enlighten me as to why all this is happening.”

“Ah, I see.”

While adjusting his breathing, Pumpkin asked Mizuki why he was being chased.

Mizuki, who knew far more about this forest and the animals that lived in it than Pumpkin did, would probably have some insight.

“Why are you being attacked… huh…”

Mizuki looked over his whole body. She then continued her sentence.

“It’s because of your savory scent, isn’t it?”

“What…”

Mizuki’s unexpected words caused him to involuntary freeze in response.

What do you mean by delicious smell savory scent…? What sweet smell?

Ah, that reminds me, even though they are harvested in the summer, pumpkins are typically consumed throughout the winter as well. This is partly because pumpkin itself is a food that can be preserved, but even more so because it matures over time… In other words, I was targeted because I was in prime condition to be eaten. 

“What is the exact smell I produce, by the way?”

“It smells incredibly sweet. Maybe even sweeter than honey.”

“Oufu…”

Ah yes, that’s a definite sign that I will be attacked.

And pumpkins are so nutritious to begin with?

“How can I get rid of them?”

“Hmm. Well, let’s see.”

Mizuki looked back and forth in the direction where she assumed him, the animals, and the master was.

“Are you suppressing your magic power now, Pumpkin?”

“Oh, it’s pretty well suppressed.”

Pumpkin glanced at his own physique when Mizuki pointed this out to him.

He then noticed that a very small amount of magic was leaking out of his skin.

That amount was less than the amount of magic power that a boar released from its tusks.

However, since the release of magic power from the skin has been suppressed to a great extent in order to constantly reinforce the body, conceal his presence and improve his magic manipulation techniques, a significant amount of magic power ought to be stored under a thin layer of skin as a result of his daily training.

“Then, try to release it. As animals are sensitive to the disparity in power between themselves and others, if you show them that you are clearly superior to them, they should retreat.”

“I get it.”

That would clarify the motivation behind their attacks on Pumpkin. His scent was a factor, but so was his magic power, which at first glance appeared to be lacking.

Yeah. That is a blind spot.

In the meantime, as Mizuki said, I should try to release my magic power as much as I can. And come to think of it, I haven’t had to release all my magic power for the last month or two.

“So, give it a try.”

“Okay.”

Once Mizuki was some distance away from him, Pumpkin became conscious once more of the flow of magic power that he usually directed towards storing in his body.

?????

Now, I wonder what will happen with Pumpkin?

Standing a short distance away from Pumpkin, Mizuki watched him.

In her opinion, Pumpkin’s magic power was not inferior to that of ordinary animals living in this forest.

On the contrary, Pumpkin should possess enough magic power that even a Clawing Boar, which would chase after a human being, would not dare to lay a hand on him. The only creature that might aggressively attack him in this forest would be a Strike Bear.

“And here it begins.”

Pumpkin’s flow of magic power has changed.

Apparently, in order to intimidate the opposition more, he intended to consolidate the magic power that was initially leaking slightly from the surface of his body into a single point inside his body.

Well, it still won’t be enough to intimidate me or Acu, the leading fish living in Lake Accumulate.

When the magic power was gathered at a point in Pumpkin’s body, the place that would be called “abdomen” in human terms, Pumpkin started to behave erratically.

“Su… hah!”

“!!?”

At that moment, Mizuki thought the world was shaking.

Not to mention the animals that were in pursuit of Pumpkin, even Acu was instinctively swimming towards the bottom of the lake, and to tell the truth, even Mizuki was in the mood to run away.

No, individuals who were operating rationally rather than instinctively would not flee. Pumpkin was emitting that much magic power.

“Where in the world did you get such a monstrous amount of magic power…!”

A storm was sweeping past Mizuki. In the midst of it, she looked at Pumpkin.

It was likely that this storm was also triggered by Pumpkin’s magic power being manifested as uncontrolled magic.

To be frank, with this amount of magic power, he may be able to compete head-to-head with a… dragon of the lower ranks.

But if things are left like this, the forest may be affected, and his initial plan to intimidate the animals has already been reached. If so, this needs to be stopped right away.

“Damn it, Pumpkin! That’s enough! Suppress the magic power!”

“Hmm? Oh, I’m sorry.”

At Mizuki’s shout, Pumpkin finally understood the devastation around them and began to suppress the amount of magic he was exerting.

At the same time, the wind also stopped. 

As I thought, that wind was caused by Pumpkin’s magic power.

“Yeah. The animals ran away.”

“They didn’t run away simply…”

Pumpkin’s remarks left Mizuki speechless.

But still, that amount of magic power. Even though you are a reincarnated person, that is abnormal. Maybe I should ask him about that.