Pioneering the Apocalyptic World - Chapter 91
Chapter 26: The self-aware and the ignorant
After exiting the miasma zone, we use the Return Stone to return to Bartle Village. Putting aside that they were a little surprised that Dozle-san hasn’t come back yet.
I explained the situation to Tigar-san and reassured him that ‘The miasma has not yet been cleared, but it is unlikely that the dragon will attack directly’ and then returned to the base to find a subjugation method.
“The White Dragon Zephyrus, huh…”
After finishing the explanation of the circumstances so far, Fricka muttered with a difficult face.
The people who are here now are me, Uru, Fricka, and Fin, who rarely participates in the conversation. Regulus was exhausted, so we left him in Grosso village for the time being.
In addition, I also talked about the competition for Uru, probably they noticed that Uru and I were quite upset, It seems that they read the atmosphere and decided not to touch it.
“I think I can do something about it under normal conditions, but the fact that It’s covered in miasma is the problem.”
Or rather, there are too many miasma monsters in this world. From now on, I’ll have to put my all into miasma countermeasures.
“Wouldn’t it be better for Rion to use the sacred arrows, just like when you used against that tree?”
“That’s also one way. Fricka, can you help me later?”
Uru’s suggestion makes sense and is what I was thinking about too. Fricka willingly agreed, saying, “Of course.”.
However, I have some concerns about this.
Zephyrus is a wind attribute dragon, and my arrows are likely to be deflected by the wind barrier.
Therefore, I would like to prepare several other means of attack.
There are roughly three methods of long-range attacks.
One is the use of weapons such as bows and throwing spears. The bow is my main style, and the spear is… Even if I can make a holy attribute spear, I don’t have enough power to throw one so far, so the bow is better for me, and Uru would probably break it… I don’t have materials that are ‘that’ strong yet…
The second is magic.…… Fricka can use magic, but if It’s a holy attribute one, she might faint. As expected if she faints in battle, she can lose her life, so It can’t be counted.
The third is items. However, when the opponent is a monster in the sky, it ends up being a throwing type, and follows the same fate as the bow. I need to put some thought in how to use it…
If it’s only that height, I can stack stone blocks and attack directly, right? That’s what I thought for a moment, but no matter how I think about it, it looks like I’m going to be dropped or the stone blocks will be broken while I’m climbing.
“Should I use something with enough mass to prevent it from being deflected?”
Speaking of throwing heavy objects, it would be a catapult used during siege battles. But I don’t know the recipe, and even if I could make it by hand, I can only see a future where It is too big and will be immediately destroyed by the enemy…
It might be better to pour holy water on a stone block and have Uru throw it. But there is a possibility that the power of that holy attribute have, is after it included my bonus as a miko, so I still want other means.
Hmmm, I don’t have enough imagination to use functions from outside of the game.…… When I was groaning, thinking about it, Uru started saying “Come to think of it…”.
“Rion, you got a lightning-attribute catalyst, didn’t you? Isn’t possible to create that magical item called a spark something?”
“Ah.”
SparkField is a magic that can inflict paralysis status ailment. It has wide range, so if it was a monster that can freely move at high speeds is one thing, but for Zephyrus who has movement restrictions, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be easy to avoid it.
The problem with Zephyrus is that he’s flying. If we use the SparkField, he will be paralyzed and drop to the ground, then we can just lynch him there? That’s her suggestion.
I don’t know how well lightning, which is a derived attribute of wind, will work against Zephyrus, which on top of being protected by miasma, is a wind attribute dragon, but it’s worth a try. Let’s try to make it later.
Changing places we came to the workshop.
I’ve come to a dead end with my ideas, so I decided to stop, asked to make a Sacred Flame magic stone that I’m sure we’ll use.
Fricka and I are able to do the work, but Uru and Fin came with us because they had free time. If it’s Uru, she normally prefers to move her body, so it’s rare.
I took out six magic stones. You might think it’s a small amount, but in order to enchant the magic Sacred Flame you need a good quality magic stone, and in the first place, Fricka goes down with just one spell, so it’s too much of a burden.
…… If I ask her, she will do it as much as I want. But I don’t like taking advantage of the goodwill of someone like that… It’s a different case if we’re in a pinch, but I don’t feel the need to subjugate Zephyrus at this point.
That’s why I put out the reason that I don’t have many magic stones as the front. It’s not like I am lying.
Fricka takes the magic stone and rolls it over her hand as if playing with it, then turns to me with a somewhat serious face. For a moment I thought ‘Huh? Did she find out?’, but I was a little relieved that it had nothing to do with it.
“… Rion-sama. I don’t mind enchanting the magic, but… Can I ask you one favor in exchange?”
“Hmm? It’s alright, I’m asking you for something too.”
It’s rare for Fricka, who is somehow modest, to request for something. I’m asking her to do something very hard, so I will do anything that you want, okay? … As far as It is something that I can do.
And for some reason, after glancing at Uru, she told me her ‘request’ and almost made me choke.
“It could be after the white dragon case is over, but could you hug me?”
“??!”
…… What……?
“… Is it impossible?”
“Eh, ah, no, it’s not impossible, but…!”
Perhaps she took the time while I was stuck in my response as a rejection, she looked down in anxiety.
“Uhm, on the contrary, is just that enough…?”
“… In other words, is it okay to wish for something more ‘further ahead’?”
When I instinctively asked back, Fricka took a step or two closer to me.
She puts her hand on my cheek and stares at me from a close position. Y-You are close, too close……!
When I kept moving my mouth trying to speak, but without saying anything, Fricka left without doing anything more.
“It seems to be impossible.”
Gu, nuuu… What the hell did you wanted to ask for… No, even I can guess what was.
‘That’ thing… Ugh… Damn, it’s embarrassing for my chicken heart to be so shaken by something like this…!
“… W-Why are you suddenly asking?”
“Nothing in particular, I was just jealous of Uru-san.”
I can see Uru’s eyes blinking when her name is given out of the blue. By the way, next to her, Fin puffed out her cheeks.…… Even if you made that kind of face to me…
Uru tilted her head, is she thinking about something, her gaze wandered around the empty air, then asked Fricka… Or rather at me.
“Rion, sometimes your attitude is quite different between me and Fricka, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Uru and Fricka are different people, so isn’t it normal to have different attitudes?”
“… Uhm…? Is that how it works…?”
I didn’t quite understand the intention of her question, so I answered as I thought.
However, it seems that it was unpopular with Uru, or rather, Fricka and she lowered her eyebrows.
“… Rion-sama, that answer is…”
“… I feel sorry for Uru-chan…”
Eh, what part? Why even Fin is looking at me with dumbfounded eyes?
While letting out a small sigh to me who said, “I don’t understand.” Fricka asked Uru this time.
“Uru-san, to you be asking such a question…… Does that mean that you are aware of it?”
“Hmm? About what?”
“… It doesn’t seem so…”
“… It looks like it’s no good here too…”
Uru didn’t seem to understand the intention of her question, so when she returned it with a question, the sisters sighed just like in my case.
… Eh…?