High School Hack and Slash Chapter 140
Who Are You?
―― the peripheral world 『BIBLIOTHECA』, the glazed myth 『＊＊＊＊』――
――『Arena of the Abyss (Tartarus Colosseum)』, 『The Hind of the Goddess (Ceryneia)』domain ――
「Hmm.」
The conquest of the subquests is going well.
It’s going well, but I’m a little stuck.
Well, it’s not like some major trouble has occurred, so it can be said that there’s no problem.
It’s simply that I don’t know how to conquer the quest.
It started out well, not gonna lie.
Or should I say, it was going too well.
After clearing 『The Gatekeeper of the Underworld (Cerberus)』, we easily knocked down the 『Three Princes (Geryon)』 and electrocuted a large number of cows in the 『Livestock Stable of the Foolish King (Augeas)』.
We managed to clear them so easily, so we decided to split up and go through the quest on our own to make short work of it.
Perhaps it was a mistake to think so, I think.
I had no problem with quests where I could push my way through with power, but I am not good at the type of quests with riddle-solving gimmicks.
Idyllic and tranquil grasslands are stretching out in the surrounding areas.
It’s a mysterious dungeon space that recreates such a situation.
At a place visible at a slight distance away, an antlered hind is grazing.
It seems to be a quest where we have to catch it, but….
As I slowly approach the hind, it moves away from me as much.
It doesn’t matter whether I approach it ever so slowly or in a dash.
Rather than the hind running away from me, it feels more like there is an endless loop of space, like a trompe l’oeil.
「Hmm.」
I think it’s impossible for me to conquer these kinds of brainy quests.
I promptly gave up and tried to call for help.
When I pinged Yuki-chan, I ended up being refused, as she said she was busy at the moment.
I don’t quite get it, but it seems to be pretty deep, so she’s in the middle of securing a buffer, so it appears.
As a replacement, should I say, another helper has been dispatched.
「Is something the matter?」
「No, no problem.」
The one who is tilting her head slightly is Linda-chan, who for some reason is dressed in a classic-style maid’s outfit.
I hadn’t noticed before, but it seems that she has become a member of Yuki-chan’s alliance.
Like Yuki-chan, she has a GP bar instead of an SP bar, and on top of that, she also has a mysterious class called『Brownie』, so I guess they must have felt sympathetic to each other as kindred spirits.
It seems that she has been in the Item Box ever since we cleared the other world (raid) 『Marvel World』.
I was a little concerned, so I tried to check with her, but it seems that there are no other『colleagues who came from Marvel World』.
I found her phrasing a little concerning, but, well, it doesn’t matter.
Right now, rather than such a thing, conquering the quest takes precedence.
Together with Linda-chan, we’re discussing how to solve the riddle.
The floaty Skeleton-kun is useless as he’s just shooting the hind with his musket gun.
He must have awakened to sport hunting or something.
The bullets don’t reach the hind, so they don’t hit it, but the hind is freaking out at the sound of the shots.
Let’s put aside such trivial matters.
It seems that Linda-chan knows the folklore that this trial is based on.
When Hercules, who was the originator of the story, challenged this trial, he chased the hind for about a year before finally managed to catch it, apparently.
As expected, it’s a tall order to keep running after the hind for a year.
It seems that once you go in, you won’t be able to get out before you clear the quest, and even if you chase after it without eating or drinking, you’ll normally starve to death.
According to what Linda-chan said, the time and space in the domain is like a Klein pot, so it seems to be okay, but I don’t understand why the talk about a pot comes up here.
For the time being, trying to reduce everything in the surrounding areas into ashes is… hmm.
Skeleton-kun is making an X mark with both hands, so let’s refrain from doing so.
「I’ve got an idea.」
I ignore the fact that Linda-chan and Skeleton-kun are sporting a very anxious look on their faces.
Well, do leave it to me.
The point is, if you approach the hind from the front, it’ll end up moving away from you.
So, feigning nonchalant air, I try approaching the hind with my back facing it.
It’s going to work, I have a feeling it’s probably the right move.
When I turn around on the way to check the distance between me and the hind, as if it’s only natural, the distance between me and the hind widens up.
I think.
For sure, the distance should have gotten closer until the moment I turned around, maybe.
Linda-chan and Skeleton-kun are making faces like they want to say something, so I guess there’s no mistaking it.
When I nonchalantly demonstrate a moonwalk, Skeleton-kun, who seems to be interested in it, begins to imitate me.
I think it’s a foul play to move your legs and swiftly move backwards all the while floating in the air.
When I turn around as I feel it takes so long to get there, I see that the hind is scooting back with a look of disgust on its face.
It’s the first time it has ever run away with its own legs.
As I thought, it was the right move, huh.
Okay, it can’t be helped.
Let’s use my trump card here, the Raijin-style acceleration technique.
Still in a back dash state, I enter the realm of lightning.
The Raijin Acceleration Technique, which has become more powerful since becoming『Indra』, has come to be able to allow me to break through even the sound barrier.
Unfortunately, however, it’s impossible to activate it at full power during battle.
I bet it would be completely uncontrollable, and I would simply blast off at super-high speed.
In fact, I end up running over the hind in such a manner.
It’s twitching and spasming, so I think it’s still alive.
Grabbing it by the neck and dragging it along with me, I make a triumphant return.
We’ve successfully cleared the 『Hind of the Goddess (Ceryneia)』 subquest.
This, too, is thanks to Linda-chan.
But then, without any context whatsoever, a blonde woman appears, points at the hind, and begins to rage.
She’s a beautiful woman dressed in an old-fashioned toga-style outfit.
If she’s hungry, I don’t mind sharing the venison with her.
With such a thought in mind, when I’m about to drain the hind’s blood, I’m suddenly shot with a bow.
Ducking the light-clad arrow that is shot at me, I drive a blow with my fist into her solar plexus.
「Mm.」
I’ve come to be able to control the current Raijin-style acceleration technique masterfully.
The blonde beauty who is twitching next to the hind is retrieved by the flock of birds that appear out of nowhere.
Linda-chan and I end up looking at each other, but no words come out of us.
No, the automatic collection is convenient and helpful, but I didn’t think they would take that one.
「No problem.」
「… Really?」
「Yeah.」
I shift my gaze away from Linda-chan’s still eyes.
As a matter of fact, a monolith-like rock door appears, so I guess it’s treated as us having cleared the quest.
I pat Linda-chan on the head to gloss it over and turn my steps toward the door.
I’ll share the venison with you, so please pretend you didn’t see it.
◇ ◇ ◇
―― the peripheral world 『BIBLIOTHECA』, the glazed myth 『＊＊＊＊』――
―― 『The Arena of the Abyss (Tartarus Colosseum)』, 『The Gate of Choice (Sybilla Gate) 』 domain ――
「Hey there. Looks like you took a little more time than expected, huh?」
「A little.」
When I return to the stage surrounded by monoliths, Seiichi, who has completed his conquest earlier, is waiting for me.
The quest Seiichi is headed for to conquer the 『Bull of the Sea God』.
It seems that he cleared it without any difficulty.
With this, of the『Twelve Labors (Hercules Quest)』 subquests, there are only four subquests left, huh.
×, Trial 1, 『The Great Lion of Gold (Nemea)』, physical attack nullification (anti-material), [Touma]
○, Trial 2, 『The Water-Serpent of Ceaselessness (Lernaea)』, Dragon Fang Soldiers summoning (Summon Spartoi)
×, Trial 3, 『The Hind of the Goddess (Ceryneia)』, desert inhibition (anti-escape), [Touma]
×,Trial 4, 『The Boar of Retribution (Erymanthos)』, magic attack nullification (anti-magic), [Touma]
×,Trial 5, 『The Livestock Stable of the Foolish King (Augeas)』, spatial transfer (teleportation), [Seiichi]
×, Trial 6, 『The Mechanical Bird of Bronze (Stymphalides)』, theft (item lost), [Touma]
×, Trial 7, 『The Bull of the Sea God (Crete)』, spatial domain (storage), [Seiichi]
○, Trial 8, 『The Man-Eating Horse (Diomedes)』, unknown
○, Trial 9, 『The Belt of the Queen (Amazons)』, unknown
×, Trial 10, 『The Three Princes (Geryon)』, interval conversion (interval reset), [Touma]
○, Trial 11, 『The Daughters of the Evening (Hesperides)』, ability enhancement (buff effect)
×, Trial 12, 『The Gatekeeper of the Underworld (Cerberus)』, infinite resurrection (undead), [Seiichi]
The floaty Skeleton-kun is scribbling on the monolith we’re using in the place of a memo.
It’s great that he’s given up on erasing it, but I don’t know what significance the names he’s added on it have.
Putting his hands on his hips, he nods his head in satisfaction.
「So, it’s about the next quest we’re in charge of, but… Seiichi?」
「Y, yeah. Let’s see….」
Seiichi, who has been glaring at Skeleton-kun with slightly scary eyes, flashes his eyes as if he has come to his senses.
「The 『Water-Serpent of Ceaselessness』is an authority (gimmick) that keeps spawning Dragon Fang soldiers in the arena. I don’t know what authority (ability) it embodies, but it doesn’t matter in the battle against Hercules, so I guess it can be put off until later.」
「Well, I guess so.」
「In that case, it would be the 『Daughters of the Evening』, which has a buffing effect on Hercules and the Dragon Fang soldiers, I suppose.」
I try checking with Seiichi, who lets out a sigh and scratches his head.
「Is it a troublesome enemy?」
「In a way, yes. The quest is to get the golden apples from the golden apple tree, but you see… To do that, you have to satisfy the three nymphs guarding the tree, apparently.」
「I assume you mean sexually?」
Seiichi nods his head silently.
I see, I’ll leave it in your hands, so I hope you’ll do your best.
「No, don’t you try to dump it all on me. You, too, go and take『The Belt of the Queen』. I believe it should be a similar quest.」
「Nuu.」
If the gimmick it’s activating is unknown, wouldn’t it be okay to put it off for later?
I would like to go for the 『Water-Serpent of Ceaselessness』, which can seem to be cleared by force.
「That’s true, but… no, at any rate, we have to complete all the subquests. Be sure to obediently go for it, okay?」
「No, but…」
「No buts or ifs. Just think of it as your duty and go and do it.」
A sigh escapes.
That kind of thing is the role of Seiichi, isn’t it?
「I guess it can’t be helped.」
「Yeah. Then, let’s go on to the next quest.」
「Say, O Seiichi.」
「What is it?」
「— Who are you?」
Seiichi, who has turned on his heel and turned his back on me, ceases his movements.
As he is, without turning around, he shrugs his shoulders.
「… Even if you ask me who I am. I can only say I am me.」
「I see.」
「I see? That’s all? If you’ve noticed, I bet you’ve got a lot of lines you want to say, such as what a fishy bastard or what’s the deal with this guy, no? A lot of it, I mean.」
「Don’t make me say such useless crap.」
Also, don’t you underestimate me too much.
If you are Seiichi, that alone is worth more than a hundred reasons to believe in you.
If you can’t tell me why, then you must have a reason.
「… I see.」
「That’s how it is.」
Skeleton-kun, who is jangling the bunch of keys, is staring silently in my direction.
I don’t mind, so I want you to open the rock door depicting the three women.
As a clicking sound echoes, the monolith that Seiichi is facing begins to glow.
「… Well, this one is like an ephemeral dream. Well, I’ve also been entrusted with things to take charge of, though. But the one that I chose is not here. That’s why, I can’t do anything. No, I’m not allowed to. Right now, the『lead role』 is not me.」
What a chuunibyou-ish line that is.
You should exercise a bit more prudence.
「As for you, just do as you please. In a way, that’s—」
「Hmm.」
The door that has sucked in Seiichi returns to its original monolith form.
Exchanging glances with Skeleton-kun, we strike a yare-yare pose.
If he can spit out such a full-blown chuunibyou poem, then as expected, it must be Seiichi himself.
Even if I’m told to do as I please, I’ll just do what I can do.
「Now then. Please.」
「…..」
Skeleton-kun, nodding his head, pulls out a huge key, separate from the bunch of keys bundled in a hoop.
It’s a mystery where he took it out from.
Size-wise, it’s about as large as the musket gun.
The huge key is plunged into the monolith, which has a large number of female figures drawn on it.
When the key is twisted, there is a clattering sound of the lock being released.
The monolith begins to glow faintly, but as opposed to stopping, Skeleton-kun continues to turn the key that he has pushed in.
*Clink clink clang clang* As a mechanical sound echoes, multiple streaks of light run around the monolith with the position where the key has been inserted serving as the center.
The monolith, with a crest of light floating on it, is opened like a door.
It’s a performance that’s somewhat different from the ones thus far.
Skeleton-kun is proudly holding up his musket gun, as if he has finished a long haul.
By any chance, I wonder if he’s thanking me for giving him the musket gun.
「Thank you.」
It seems that Skeleton-kun, who returns a sharp thumbs-up, is not going to come with me.
Now then, let’s go clear the quest in a jiffy.
◇ ◇ ◇
The 『Belt of the Queen (Amazons)』world (raid) gate that took in Touma was closed.
The 『Arena of the Abyss (Tartarus Colosseum)』was one of the other world groups where several raids were connected.
It was a world that was designed and formed that way from the beginning.
Be it Hercules or the Twelve Quests, they were no more than stories that adorned the lore.
However, this raid, designed as a group of different worlds, had incorporated a number of raids due to its expansive nature.
It was not an unusual phenomenon for Lore with the same roots to merge and increase in scale (rank).
It also included lore that had worn out or transformed and branched off into various anecdotes.
He did not wish for tragedy.
Right now, having ended up losing even his name, he did not remember what manner of being he was.
He was by no means a good being, but he thought it would be nice to have a rewarding story.
With a toy (factor) brought from outside this other world (raid) in his hand, *bang bang* he pulled the trigger as he tried to play with it.
The domain, abandoned of its role, shattered and scattered.
The foundation of the circular stage crumbled and waned into nowhere nothingness.
―― Please lament to the disappointment, O Muse. Abandoning his mission, the foolish man… ――
*Bang* The sound of a shot fired into the empty sky drowned out the voices.
Falling along with the shattered stage, he was laughing with a very satisfied clattering.
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