Chapter 291
Chapter 291: To think the pimple issue will resurface again, and this time with a new twist of 『If pig’s sword doesn’t work then why not use dog’s fangs』?
Day 71 – Dawn, Outside the Seventh dungeon.
We failed. We were trusted by everyone, and entrusted with everything, even given the honor of operating the intelligence network. The betrayers of the Frontier that worked for the treacherous neighboring domain, we, Shino Clan, were still bestowed such kind words of 『The Frontier’s eyes and treasure』 by Omui-sama, and even told 『I’m counting on you』 by the Princess.
Fulfilling the clan’s dearest wish and trembling from the excessive honors bestowed upon us, everyone put their utmost into the work. But we are still to repay the favor received. Even so, we had such a great trust put into us… and yet we failed.
Everyone left this job to us because they trusted us. It was precisely for this that Haruka-san even gave us all of the hand grenades, which are made from expensive magic stones, saying that it’s for safety. We couldn’t afford to fail… And yet we did.
We had left people to monitor the situation, there also were no issues with regular communication. And yet an overflow was triggered.
Regrets are pouring into my mind. Were we too focused on the fifth one? Or perhaps we let our guard down, thinking that there won’t be any more? What did we do wrong? But it doesn’t matter.
I hurry to shoot a signal flare. Even If it’s too late, we have to notify everyone to avoid the worst. And this stampede is also going to block the retreat route for our allies. Omui-sama, who forgave our betrayal, the Princess that called out to us despite our lack of status and praised our work, and the girls who are always kind to us, all will be pincered with no way to escape. And while the benefactor of our clan, and, mostly, my savior, Haruka-san, is still fighting all by himself, he is going to be attacked by a stampede while completely isolated… That alone absolutely can’t be allowed to happen.
「Signal flares went up… Two of them, red and black!」 「Confirmation, there is no mistake… It’s red and black. A stampede.」
We overlooked two spots, this is fatal. This is our blunder, our responsibility. Omui-sama who called us 『The eyes of the Frontier』 and Haruka-san 『Information is strength? Just leave fighting to muddle-headed idiots, well, it’s dangerous out there so take these weapons and equipment? I’ll also give you new magic stone hand grenades, so don’t tell the Pres and others about my bulk purchases, okay?』, who went to excessive lengths to prepare for us weapons, equipment, and consumables for the sake of protecting ourselves. We betrayed all of that trust. Everyone entrusted the treacherous Shino Clan with their lives, and yet we betrayed even that trust. That’s why it’s our responsibility.
「Everyone, gather all of the Flashbang debuffing sticky exploding magic stone hand grenades that you have! I… will hold back the stampede. In the meantime, join up with the nearby Angelica-san and Girls-only Group and tell them to retreat to the Frontier. This is an order, please take care of this!」
「「「「Young Lady!」」」」
「I’m sure my father, being the head of the clan, will hold back the other one. Omui-sama and the Princess will retreat too. We have no time, hurry!」
「「「「……Yes.」」」」
And the dungeon is shaking. The entrance to the dungeon is rumbling as if in anticipation. Soon, monsters will start pouring from here, and a stampede will begin. The only thing that I can do now is to keep throwing grenades until my arm falls off.
Haruka-san gave those to us believing in us, that is why I’m going to throw every single one of those to hold back the stampede as much as possible… Wait, my arm really might fall off? From just how many enemies Haruka-san was trying to protect us? Gathering all of the grenades from merely this unit created a small mountain behind me. I think if I throw all of this, either my arm will really fall off, or all of the monsters will be obliterated?
And as soon as I sense signs of movement, I throw! Repeated blindingly bright flashes and thunderous bangs. Flashbang debuffing sticky exploding magic stone hand grenades are self-defense weapons handmade by super worrywart Haruka-san. Once thrown it incapacitates monsters through loud sound and flashing light, then binds them with glue, after which, as knocked out monsters are being trampled down by other monsters, it then detonates, then gluing even more monsters, and then blinding, deafening them, paralyzing, and then exploding again… That’s supposedly a self-defense weapon?
A weapon for self-protection capable of annihilating a dungeon overflow, sounds way too overprotective, but thanks to it everyone will survive. I’m sure the Frontier will survive. I’m sure Poster Girl-chan will be fine too.
A non-stop rumble in the ground, sounds of explosions and cries of monsters are resounding through the air… No matter how many I throw, no matter how many I turn to ashes, the monsters keep coming in an endless surge. This is a dungeon… This is what the Frontier was fighting against.
But now I’ve lost sense of time and feeling in my lead-like arms. With those endless explosions I barely can hear a thing anymore and my vision is starting to get blurry. My arms are heavy, and nails have peeled off… To be honest, I’m a bit tired.
But I’m going to keep throwing until the very last one. These were given to us by Haruka-san, after all.
I’ve received a great many things from Haruka-san. Be it those overprotective self-defense weapons, or the expensive equipment that I’m wearing, even the clan being now able to work for Omui-sama, and being trusted and treated kindly by everyone is all Haruka-san’s doing. Amazing dishes, tastylicious sweets, salty and delicious snacks, me being able to smile right now, even my very life, everything was given to me by Haruka-san! And all of it are my treasures! So I’m not letting any of it go to waste, I’m going to use the weapons that Haruka-san made to protect us to protect everyone until the very end. We surely will be forgiven even after this blunder, but it doesn’t mean we can forgive ourselves. After all, after becoming so happy, after being given so much happiness, I’ll absolutely won’t be able to forgive myself for failing to protect everyone’s happiness.
I can’t see clearly… I can’t hear… I can rely on the reading presence. I’m not even sure if I’m still throwing properly anymore… I’ll immediately lose consciousness if I let my mind drift. And yet I’m not even sure if I’m still standing.
My eyes are all blurry, and I can’t hear a thing… I remember how Haruka-san patted me on the head when I felt kind of like this before. I remember how back then too, I thought at the very end that we won’t meet again.
Groping around I pick up another grenade. There is only a small heap left of the previous mountain of grenades. But monster corpses covered in sticky substance also have piled up at the entrance, becoming a barricade of sorts. I can sense disturbance inside, so monsters under abnormal status effects must be getting in each way in confusion… I wonder if everyone has escaped by now? Is this enough already?
Echoes and shrieks, angry roaring and rumbling ground. Unable to see anything, I continue to throw, relying entirely on sensing presence.
How much time has passed already? There are only three grenades left. I must’ve thrown several hundreds by now. I have no sensation in my hands or arms. I’m so tired… But there are still three grenades left. And this will be it.
The last time I thought 『It’s all over. If only I could’ve had Haruka-san pat me on the head in the end~』 and he really patted me on the head. I was really surprised…
But this is really the end. I still have three more grenades… But they don’t seem to work on the floor master.
I’m sure my father is holding back the stampede at the other dungeon… Did everyone escape? Is it alright even if I can’t hold out anymore?
Mustering the last bit of my strength I threw all three grenades at the same time, but it wasn’t enough to defeat it. But I followed through with my words… I did everything I could.
But after all, when the end comes, it still makes me want some pats on the head from Haruka-san. I did my best until the very end, so it makes me want a reward.
「I did my best until the end. So I’d wish I could have some headpats… Haruka-san. Goodby… Agah?」
Instead of getting patted, I was slapped on the head! I wish to resolutely protest this unjust treatment… I wish, but?
The giant wolf floor master is cowering on the ground, crying 『Kyan, kyan』. Other wolf-type monsters in the surroundings are also trashing on the ground, squealing.
And in the middle of the wolves withering in pain on the ground, stands Haruka-san, pinching his nose.
That’s unfair. I also wish to cover my nose, but I have to endure this sour smell since my hands wouldn’t move!
「Long time no see~, or rather, just when I was about to express my deepest exaltation upon finally getting to see some living beings aside from middle-aged men, why are you on the verge of dying again? Is it pimples again? For goodness sake, don’t use dogs to pop them, it’s unsanitary, an orc’s sword is no good too, but why would you choose to get straight to getting chewed by dogs from that? I mean, if those puppies were to bite you on the head it’d hurt really bad? With that size, it probably will hurt worse than being bitten by the Bitch Leader… No, wait, that one is definitely more vicious! She’d still go straight for gnawing on you instead of crying cutely like this! Yeah, even kobolds were saying that she is way scarier! Not like I actually asked? But they probably did? Kind of?」
While saying that, he is patting me on the head. It’s Haruka-san again. It’s always Haruka-san, and it’s Haruka-san, after all. As expected, I started crying, while everyone around was long since crying. Kyan-kyan?
As my vision returned, having been cured by a potion before I even noticed, a beautiful and captivating dance of slaughter entered my vision. Surrounded by a large pack of wolves lying on the floor, a bewitching dancer is swirling in a frenzied sword dance. As monsters continue to surge forward from the dungeon in enormous hordes they are minced into tiniest pieces, slashed and scattered into blood, meat, tragedy, and disaster. The dance of a lovely reaper whirling her way through death. Each turn she makes causes countless silver strings to dance along, as sharp slashes are carving, shredding, and chopping surrounding monsters to pieces in a deadly dance. Moving like she is swallowed by madness, she is erasing countless monsters with each revolution of her wild dance.
Continuously spinning she is moving in a spiral, slashing and cutting monsters that get in her way. Unable to even touch her, the pieces of monsters are scattered to the ground like petals by the wind.
It’s so pretty. Elegant to the point of cruelty, and terrifying to the point of magnificence. This is a dance of death.
Dancing while scattering silver chains from her entire body, she is cutting through the enemies with a pair of crescent-shaped swords. Dungeon overflow has changed into a beautiful ball of monster execution. The dungeon overflow became a monsters’ mass suicide. So strong, who is she?
「Heeey, Dancer-san, or rather, Dancer Girl? Or rather, with the helper supposedly being forced into absolute obedience yet getting this motivated by crepes, that basically makes you simply a lady in a lovely outfit who just wants to eat crepes very much, without the collar or the choker having anything to do with this? Yeah, this seems like a pretty nice development? Can I leave this place to you? I think there is probably another place where some idiotic middle-aged man is fighting alone with hand grenades? Or rather, from explosive middle-aged bomber men there is another bombing old man? Well, I do want them to explode, but this time monsters instead of the middle-aged man, so I’ll be right back after some monsters elimination, extermination, removal? Kind of?」
「Crepe, extra, acknowledge?」
Looks like they reached an agreement. They are going to help my father. He is still fighting alone… I’m sure.
But they are still stuck negotiating crepes in front of a horde of monsters overflowing from the dungeon. The monsters swarming out from the dungeon like a raging wave, are being annoyedly dispatched, erased, and minced to pieces… Haruka-san is one thing, but that lady is too strong! While continuing his crepe negotiation, Haruka-san keeps monotonously swinging his right hand only, thousands of silvery chains that stretch from there spin and flutter around, slashing monsters to bits… But they both aren’t even looking! Looks like they are going to settle at five extra crepes, but now it seems they still have to decide on the toppings, so the monsters continue to be obliterated without even managing to get their existence acknowledged.
The dancing girl wearing a lascivious outfit woven out of silvery chains. The bewitching lady with fully exposed legs, belly, and shoulders. Her beauty is so sublime that calling her merely beautiful doesn’t cut it. And she is now waving her fascinatingly elegant limbs around, while stomping on the ground, demanding crepes?
Then, surprised by suddenly being grabbed by the scruff of the neck, the next moment I was in the sky? This cruel world that I saw from there was so very, very… Beautiful.
Thank you. Crepes the ultimate negotiation device.