Check the map.

　We got a general idea of the range of the habitat from the locations on the map. The next step is to investigate the scene, but since there are a lot of water areas, we'll be wearing waterproof gloves and boots made of slime film.

Then, Midea, let's groping for footprints around the spot where the animal was sighted. If it's a huge body, the footprints should be sunken in.

A place as big as a house would take most of your body out of the water in a shallow area. But with just the two of us, it's going to take a long time, okay?

　I don't think it's fair, but Manya is not good with amphibians, and Pina's feet aren't suited for the swamp. And both of the spirit pairs are the type of people who can't see well underwater.

'I'm sorry, but please, I'm relying on Midea. I'll think of something special for you instead.

It's just that it might take a while, which I don't mind. But Ryota's special allowance........ Yeah, I'll do my best!

　In fact, I'm covered in mud, and I don't feel comfortable asking a young girl to do a muddy job. But I'm sorry I can't think of a better way. I'll definitely come up with some kind of allowance that will make Midea happy if she doesn't mind doing the work.


* Three days after the investigation

　We spent three days tracking the footprints. All of the footprints at the sighting points were based in a half-submerged cave. There was no doubt that it was his home.

Tomorrow night is the moon on the night of the sixteenth night. I think I will keep my distance and watch it with my starlight scope and other members with good night vision. What do you guys think?

I can't test the organism, but I can test the type of poison and the ingredients.　You can use that information to deduce who they are, can't you?

　Anya's appraisal magic is originally for the quality of materials used by artisans. That's why we don't know the type of demon, but if it's a substance we know, we can identify it and its quality, and we can appraise whether it's bad magic power or normal magic power, etc.

　Also, although it's limited to materials, Midea said that 500m of appraisal magic is at the level of a court magician. ''Manya is versatile and her magic is humble but she has great skill.

Then, starting tonight, we're going to stake out the cave for the night. In case it's on dry land and high, let's use it as a base and monitor it within 500 meters.''

'Yes, sir. I thought you would, so I quickly made a list of the right places.

　Hmmm, Windowflower is as capable as ever!　I don't want you to be a tease, I want you to be rather serious about being a Commander. Because being a dancer is hardly anything tasty for a hassle. I think it's easier to just follow the instructions of an excellent window flower without thinking about it anymore.

　Well, putting aside the dreams that won't come true, I immediately started the stakeout tonight. It didn't seem to be very active, so I was prepared for a few days, but I found it easily on the first day.

''Mister, I'm done with the appraisal magic. The body's constituent material is mostly newt. The poison is neurotoxin, but it's weak at the level of paralysis. The magic power is not cloudy and is not a demon. But the magical power of the possession of the half a dozen or so is not very impressive, so watch out for the figure.

　Anya's grading magic can appraise the drugs and ingredients that she knows. Which means that the artisans of this world also use newts and prickly pearlfish... drugs?　I'm curious, but let's leave it at that for now, we'll follow and have a look.

"It looks just like a giant salamander. And at 10 meters long, it looks like a monster. If it's amphibian tailed, it's probably tetrodotoxin or samandarin.

'Huh?　This feeling is.............Ryota!　This sounds like the magic of a spirit, right?
'That's a genie?　Midia, are there any uncontracted spirits I can see as well?
'Mogu!　Mug!　Mogguhgoo!

　Before I could hear Midia's reply, Mog started to make a startling noise. I'm sorry for Mog, but he's too desperate to convey his thoughts only about desperate things. Well, at times like this, I'd ask Midea to translate for me.

　According to Midia's interpreter [For some reason, the figure is different, but the signs are the same Mog as my old best friend. He says that he's not a spirit of Ares originally, he's a Mog who wants to talk to you because he probably has a situation.

　I completely forgot about it too, but Mog was originally born in this world. He is a former earth god, but he has a history of being introduced by a god from a different region than Ares, who migrated to this planet and became his friend.

You are friends with Mogu..... But Mog, I'm worried about you, so I'll go with you, okay?

'Ryota, Mogu says he doesn't mind if you take more than ten steps away from him.

　That's why we approached the giant newt, with Mog in the lead. The giant amphibian feels like it's waiting for us, not running away because Mog called it. Window flowers and Midea are away to observe, while Manya and Pina are hiding because they are not good at it. I left Yukikaze behind as well, so they wouldn't be alarmed.

　Finally, Mog and the giant amphibian began to discuss the situation. In the meantime, I'm in the process of requesting supplementary information via communication, using Midia's knowledge and the book information from the window flowers.

　According to their knowledge, in this world, if a dying creature is near the spirit and still on the same wavelength. It seems that very, very rarely, a genie can fuse with that creature and take on a substance.

　Nevertheless, fusing with a creature will cause more inconvenience for the spirit, as it will be subject to biological restrictions such as food and injuries. So, unless there is a good reason, spirits do not fuse with living things. In addition, if they do fuse, their classification changes from spirits to phantoms. In other words, it's confirmed that they're not demons.

　We were talking about that, when the giant amphibian spoke to me.

''Good evening, you must be the Lord of Mogu, right?　My name is my friend [Asta]. I have heard from Mogu that you have been good to me. Thank you for taking good care of my friend.

　It's amazing how powerful it is at 10 meters, I'm surprised it can talk... And the name Mogu is too cheesy and awkward.

(Mogu is pronounced in Japanese, in Ares you can't tell it was taken from the mole.)

I'm Ryota, the owner of Mogu. I'm the one who has been helped by Mogu at all times, so it's mutual. However, Mogu is from a different area than Ares. If you say you are friends with him, then for some reason you came to Ares?

　So I asked about 【Asta】-san's situation.

　【Asta】san's contractor was a black elf mercenary who made his living as a merchant ship escort.
(A brown-skinned clan, but an ordinary elf. (Humans just call them black elves.)

　And Mr. Asta is a fire spirit and plays the role of burning down the sails of a pirate ship.
　The other companion was a water spirit, who was responsible for breaking the oars in a big wave.
　Apparently, they were the perfect team to fight off pirates and get away with it.

　Furthermore, the contractor was also an elf, but he had a friendly personality and was very popular with all the merchant ships. It seems that such a team of spirits, including the contractor and Asta-san, stopped at Pyrenius on their way to work.......

　But unfortunately, the contractor was killed, he said.