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Volume 3 Chapter 22: As a Reliable Carrier

 

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Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”

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A minute and fifty seconds before the antidote would lose its effectiveness I was going back to the Magic Science Guild.

I already injected the antidote in one location on the upper part of the tree. Most likely Saki also succeeded, this leaves one location.

In order to dash as soon as I receive a new antidote, I perform an equipment-check on the run.

The transportation bag contains only the usual sword and spear, allowing dragon knight skills to be used to some extent.

Even so, what I’m about to do is a mission with an extreme time restriction, for which I have almost no experience.

「How should I put it, it’s pretty exciting.」

「Really? But my friend, your heartbeat sounds no different from usual, rather, it’s very calm.」

「But in my mind, I’m excited.」

Even though I have a dragon knight’s skills, my current job is different after all.

However, nervousness will only slow me down, stiffening my movements, so I decided to calm myself by taking deep breaths until the next medicine will be ready.

「Kyaaa!」

A scream came from the laboratory up ahead. Furthermoreー

「Mo-monsters!」

I’ve got a bad feeling about this as such words followed

●

Moka witnessed the moment when the magic science guild was swallowed by the whirlwind of screams.

「It’s the penetration beetles! Be careful!」

Several penetration beetles burst through the floor, invading the laboratory.

「For them to appear at such a moment……!!」

「And they were so calm before. Did their behavior change…?!

Making the buzzing sounds with their wings penetration beetles flew through the laboratory.

With agile, but strangely orderly movements, they attempted to penetrate everything in sight with their hard horns.

「Hiii……!」

Panicked and frightened voices filled the laboratory.

However, Moka did not partake in that chaos and kept issuing orders.

「Protect the equipment!」

And she herself also tried to defend the equipment by blocking it with her own body. Howeverー

「Damn! They got one!!」

But they didn’t make it in time, and one machine got pierced through.

Contents of cylinders splashed across the lab, naturally, the antidote was also ruined.

「Kuh…… How can it be…!」

With just a dozen seconds more, another dose of the antidote would’ve been completed, but now it was destroyed.

Furthermore, penetration beetles weren’t done after piercing it.

「……!!」

They set their aim on Moka and other researchers and once again charged.

Seeing their speed Moka understood, having a non-combat job she had no chance of dodging that.

…This, I’m done for…!

And, the moment she gasped at that thoughtー

「…This time merely catching you won’t be enough.」

Axel who had just dashed into the room like a gale cut down all of the bugs flying through the room.

All of it happened in just a moment.

I didn’t see movements of his blade at all. However, Axel had a long sword in his hands, furthermore, fragments of bugs were stuck to it, so I could tell that he was the one who did it.

Then, he dashed to us, lending a hand to me and other researchers.

「Are you okay, Moka-san, everyone?」

「Y-yes. I’m okay……!」

「Thank goodness. However, looks like the machine got wrecked……」

Axel furrowed his brows. Indeed, the damage was great.

Howeverー

「We still can do it, Granz-san. One machine was destroyed… But another one, made by Daisy-san, is fine! And we already started production on it!」

Moka’s gaze pointed to another machine that commenced its work.

The moment the penetration beetles appeared in the laboratory I activated another machine, just in case.

In case something goes awry it was already loaded with ingredients and fully prepared for activation, it looks like it wasn’t for nothing.

「Oh, you are fast with the follow-up.」

「I wanted to have a reserve, just in case. But we lost more than 10 seconds…!」

By the time it’s finished we will have less than 40 seconds. Will it be enough? Such a thought filled my mind.

「It’s fine. With that much time, we can make it. Your back-up plan wasn’t for nothing.」

Axel said confidently.

We still have no reason to give up, such reassuring mood overcame her.

「Yes, then, I will pour all my magic into it to finish it as fast as possible……!」

It actually won’t increase the production speed. However, in order not to lose focus Moka used the skill with all her might……

「It’s done!」

Just as they assumed, the antidote was finished around 40 seconds mark.

Pulling it from the machine she immediately handed it over to Axel.

「Granz-san! Please…!」

「I got it, Moka-san!」

With those words, Axel flew out of the laboratory.

He kept going, further accelerating upon reaching the plaza, andー

「――」

And taking a huge leap plunged down headfirst from the God Tree.

Moka’s hopeful gaze was fixed on his fading figure.

●

With a few dozen seconds remaining.

We don’t have that much time anymore.

Leaving time tracking to Daisy, I kept accelerating even as I was falling.

「Guh…… Nmuuoh……」

Daisy, hidden in my bosom, kept groaning due to the wind pressure from falling headfirst.

「Daisy, are you alright?」

「Yeah, don’t mind me. You, my friend, should look ahead……!」

「Yeah, I’ll do just that.」

The God Tree wasn’t growing vertically.

The God Tree wasn’t just a vertical slab, it was slightly inclined and had branches.

Thus, merely falling down will lead to needless collisions and a drop in speed.

Thereforeー

「――！」

On my way, I kick off the branches to accelerate and correct my route.

And while I was at itー

「My friend, over there!」

We saw the sign.

A road in between houses.

There was an exposed root.

Since it’s already painted by knights of the order it was very noticeable.

The considerable distance from here was noticeable as well.

「……Remaining time 18 seconds!」

Daisy announced the time limit.

It’s questionable if I can make it in time by falling vertically like this and running through the town to the destination. In that caseー

「Okay. I’m going to jump. Brace for impact.」

「…Understood!」

Declaring that, I kicked off the tree with all my might.

However, now I can’t adjust my course.

I plunge diagonally down at an acute angle. Seeing thatー

「Leave the impact from landing to me!」

Sitting in my bosom, Daisy raised one paw. Andー

「【Composition: Shock-Absorbing Platform】」

I heard her activate the skill.

Then, the location where I was about to land began to shine faintly.

I dived right into that light.

And at full momentum, I landed on both legs and then also one hand. Next momentー

*――thump!*

I sunk.

The ground turned into a cushion.

Normally, despite me being quite used to this, a fall from such a height would make my legs go numb.

If that happened, it would’ve taken time before I could take the next action. Howeverー

……Thanks to Daisy nothing of that sort occurred…

Due to the cushioned surface, I managed to land without taking any damage.

And thanks to the part of momentum being dampened by the cushion I managed to use that inertia to continue moving right away. As a resultー

「ーShoot this one and it’s all over.」

「Yes, 5 seconds left. Perfect, my friend.」

We had some unexpected difficulties, but in the end, we finished with plenty of time left.

By injecting the exposed root we finished the mission.

「Now. My work here is done. What’s left is to confirm any signs of the medicine being effective, while we are waiting for Berzelia and Saki. As I recall, once the effects show, we were supposed to go to Sidonius in the warehouse district.」

「Right. …But, my friend. Waiting doesn’t seem to be necessary.」

Saying that Daisy looked overhead.

Following her example, I also looked above. And what we saw thereー

「……Ah, you are right.」

A beautiful God Tree.

A vibrantly green verdure sprouted from its splendidly brown trunk and branches as if sucking the color from the medicine that was shot into the root.

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