'Okay, we're done!

'You did it!

　After defeating the armored mounted gorilla, we high-fived and walked to the other side of the bridge.

'Hey.
We did it.
"That was a unique gorilla.
I'm not sure what to make of that.
"It's Sukuna, isn't it?
"I love how he's completely devoid of support.
"I want you to marry Toka.

'I won't do it, Toka-chan.'

'Huh?

'No, I was talking about the comment.

　I think Rin's wall is thicker than mine.
　Speaking of which, I wonder what Rin is doing. I wonder if she's reached her destination yet.


　As we crossed the bridge, a soldier-like NPC in front of the gate called out to us.

'So, you two girls have defeated him, huh?

　Her equipment was the same as that of the gatekeeper in front of the bridge, so she was probably also a gatekeeper. In terms of age, he's about the oldest.
　The difference is strength. You can tell just by looking at him. He's a very strong NPC. In terms of unfathomability, he's a bit like Amber.

'Well, yeah. It's a monster I didn't expect.'

'I suppose so. He's quite a unique fellow. But it's been a long time since the two of us have been together. ...... Or perhaps it's inevitable for someone with that certificate. I've heard so much about you.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.
　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

I'm sure you've already been baptized, but you should be aware that wearing that token is a kind of test in itself. I've seen many times how the world crushes those who wear it. That's what it means to be accepted by God.

'Baptism, right? ......'

　I wondered which battle he was referring to, but he was probably referring to the battle against Apocalypse.
　If what he says is true, it changes the meaning of what Amber said about there not being many people in the world who have this.
　It means that there were heroes who could have had it, but the world crushed them.

'Thank you, uh, ...... gatekeeper?

'Jest, young demoness.'



'Okay, Jest-san. I'll be back here again, and I'll look forward to seeing you then!'

'Hmm. ...... Oh yeah, just let me check your pass. I can't fool God's eyes, but it's a rule.

'Yes, sir.

　I took out from my inventory the card-type traffic permit that I had dropped during the battle against the mounted gorillas earlier and showed it to Jest-san, who nodded and pointed the way.

'The Imperial Capital is just ahead along the road. It's mostly rabbit, but watch out for the eagle monsters that are after them.'

'Heh, ...... flying monsters, huh.'

　Indeed, if you look up at the sky, you can see something flying.
　Even though it's a plain, it's not a vast open land as we've seen in the past, but there are trees growing densely in some places like stoplights, so there might be a nest around there.

'Okay, let's go, Toka-chan.

'Yes, Sister Suk!

'I wish you good luck.

　Thus, we parted ways with Mr. Jest, the gatekeeper, and headed for Fierce.


☆☆


'Oh, by the way, you said earlier that Pheas is the Imperial City.

　I was chatting with Toka as we walked along the road in a leisurely climate, keeping our eyes on the sky.
　The rabbits around Fierce are basically inactive and will not attack you unless you initiate or approach them.

'The imperial capital, in other words, is like the capital of the country. As I recall, ...... the city from the beginning to the eighth city is called the Merstiv Empire or something like that, and its imperial capital seems to be Fierce.''

'Merstiv Empire'.

'It's Merstiv, Sister Suk.

'It's V.
"V.
'It's not V.'

'No, it's not the ...... pronunciation, it's just that I thought the name was long. ......'

'Some people find it hard to remember the names of countries in katakana, don't you?

　I feel that people who are not good at world history sometimes say such things. And so do I.

'Merstive' is the name of a founding hero. He stalled 100,000 monsters single-handedly.

'Huh...'

'I heard that there's a statue of him in the Imperial Capital, so let's go see it later.

　I wasn't talking about the hero named Merstive, but I was surprised at how much knowledge Toka-chan had in the game.
　No matter what I asked, she'd always answer, and she was kind enough to add a little more information without being too pushy.

　Anyway, we should go see the statue of Merstive when we go to Pheas.
　I was almost killed by 30 monsters in the Demon Forest, but the story about fighting 100,000 monsters was quite shocking to me.
　The anecdotes of NPCs in this world, such as shattering castle walls or stopping 100,000 monsters, are quite large in scale.

　Anyway, it's really strangely peaceful around here.


　He said it was the imperial capital, so I wonder if that means he's cleaning up the area around the city.
　If you ask me if the monsters are simply weak, it's not like that; there are usually monsters over level 30 walking around.
　I wonder how people in Teito level up at first.
　Whatever it is, it's just peaceful, so it's easy.

'Mmm......'

'How can I help you?

'Just be quiet.

　I spotted something in the distance, in a dense area of trees, and took out the most bouncy throwing weapon I had, an iron ball.
　Considering the weight I threw in the fight with the mounted gorilla earlier, I have enough muscle strength. The trajectory calculation is fine. Since he's not moving around, accuracy is the most important thing.
　Concentrating hard, I held the ball in my right hand and swung my right arm out with a little help.

'............ Shoo!

　With a sharp exhalation, the iron ball was released and flew in a straight line compared to the weight I had just thrown.
　This time, in order to increase the power of the throw, I used the "Shot" art of the "Throwing" skill. Compared to the "Shot" skill, the "Shot" skill throws straighter, faster, and with more power.

　The iron ball entered the trees with great speed, bouncing off branches and trunks a total of three times before piercing the target between the eyes.
　As the monster, who was probably asleep on the branch, writhed in shock and pain, two throwing knives that I had pursued in time pierced it.
　The throwing knives seem to have just broken the monster's throat, and with the same momentum, the throwing knives sew the monster to the tree.
　The monster stopped moving, and after a while it disappeared due to bleeding damage.

'Good.

　It was a rare monster, so I aimed at it, and it felt good to be stabbed just as I wanted.
　I've been feeling really good since the fight with the mounted gorilla. It's a great feeling.

'...... Did you see anything?

'Yes, a rainbow-colored rabbit, I saw it for a moment.'

'It's a bit silly to ask ...... if you got it. The rainbow-colored rabbit is the one that Sister Suk said she saw on the other side of the river, isn't it?

What's that?
"A rainbow rabbit.
Hmm, I can't see it.
"It's already gone.
"The grass.
"I have no idea what it is from your point of view.

'It's called "Mysteria Rabi". There's a lot of material available at .......'

　 The meat is delicious. The furs sell well. Not a lot of experience, but a lot of money.
　Basically, they seem to warp away when they detect you, so the usual way to beat them is to sneak up on them and kill them before they warp away.
　If you can defeat them before they find you like now, you can get a lot of materials.



　They seem to be rather fragile, so if you kill them every time you find one, it might be pretty tasty. I killed it just because I happened to see it earlier, but I think I'll aim for it aggressively next time.
　I've been on the edge of my seat ever since Haruru took my money. It was hard for me to find the money to pay for it.