The room set up in the basement of the base is now equipped with chairs and desks for flower gardens and mushroom hats. At last, it is becoming a full-fledged operation room of sorts. Hanazono was still cold as ever, but as a mushroom hawk, she was quite satisfied with her current treatment.
　He was exempt from the hellish training the other members were experiencing, but that in itself wasn't so much as an easy thing to do. Since they had to use their abilities endlessly, the fatigue level was quite high.

　Nevertheless, being entrusted with a role that only they can perform is a joyful story for Mushikasa, who was an ordinary high school boy until a few months ago.

　Shimeji Mushikasa's position in the class was not that noteworthy. The guys he often hangs out with are the ace boys of the athletic club, such as Uozumi Salmonichiro and Sarutoyo Futa, and they are not a group that came together for any particular reason.
　Compared to the group of Ryuzaki and Goubayashi, who reigned at the top caste of their class, and the group of Washio and Hakuba, who existed as their cronies, they were somewhat less outspoken and rarely got involved in class politics. However, Saruwatari was a good match for Yukinoshita Ryouka and had many opportunities to talk with Uozumi Masuyo, a member of the upper-ranked girls' group via Uozumi, so it was the group of Mushikasa and the others who were able to have a safe and enjoyable school life.

　Mushikasa was able to work with the entire group again with this joining, and on top of that, he was able to entrust them with tasks that only he could do, so he was aware that he was still blessed with the position.

'Yo, shimeji!'

　After finishing the meal, Mushikasa was about to retreat to the basement operations room when Uozumi Salmonichiro greeted him from before.

''Yo, Kay. Did you finish your special training?''
Yeah. Now it's time for dinner. That old gobayasi bastard was quite the devil...
Well, he's just a demon, that's all.

　The combat training is led by Goubayashi and Okumura. Mushikasa has been with those two ever since they were sent to the same Zelga Gladiatorial Principality. Goubayasi is as stoic as he looks, and Okumura is a bit more mild-mannered, but still has the blood of a legendary delinquent in his veins, and their training is hard enough.
　Furthermore, apart from Mushikasa, the classmates sent by Zelga were Kenzaki, a martial arts girl who was very strict about discipline, Sarutoyo, a hot-blooded adolescent, and Zeku, a native oga, so I was forced to spend my days in a rather sporadic manner. If the same thing happened to the fishermen in front of me, I feel a little bit sorry for them.

'Was Kay's Phase 2 called "Demon Fish"?　It's not going to be easy to use, is it?
Not so much. The only thing you can do when you transform is to crawl and move, but your power will increase. Well, it's easier to move after the water is laid down by Masuyo's magic.

　A mushroom man (Matango) and a fish man (Gilman) stand near the entrance of the cafeteria, chatting.
　This combination is pretty much the same, but the combination of Mushikasa Shimeji and Uozumi Salmonichiro has been called 'foil-roasted' by the combination name of 'foil-roasted' since the time of humans. It was Sugiura who called it "foil-roasted" in the first place.

　Sugiura, who has been training every day, may have taken a toll on his body, but he is now laying down on the table.
　Although she is in charge of cooking, so she is exempt from some of the content, and her students are also sent out to help with the cooking, she is not very good at moving her body to begin with.

'Speaking of which, I heard you found Hino?'

　Suddenly, Uozumi said as he remembered, and Mushikasa's eyebrows (instead of casa) furrowed.

''I've been found..............................I've been found. But we're not in a position to do anything about it yet, so we'll just let it swim.

　It was decided after a discussion between Goubayashi and Kyosuke Soraki.

　To begin with, there was still some uncertainty about the movements of Hikino Ei itself. It was also the reason why the growth of the mycelium was severely hindered. The mycelium that was growing abnormally was cut off, and we are now expanding the scope of the mycelium once again.
　In addition, there are still areas where abnormalities in the growth of mycelium occur. In other words, that position is where Ei currently resides.

''Is he spraying poison on us?''

　Uozumi muttered as he tilted his head.

'If it's just poison, I should be able to analyze it.

　Mushikasa also mumbles as if he's not sure why.

　His Phase 2 ability is the creation of chemical and biological weapons in his body. Mushikasa has become a walking chemical factory, a BC weapon itself. At the same time, he also has the ability to analyze poisons and substances that cause abnormalities in his biological activities.
　The fact that even the mushroom hats couldn't detect it meant that the "something" occurring around Ei Hino was not a poison. It could be something with magical effects.

There's a lot more to the information we need to gather than just Hino, right? Good luck with that.

　With a thud, Uozumi slapped Mushikasa's back as hard as he could. Spores flew out of the casa on his head with great force.

''That operations room over there is so stifling.

　Mushikasa muttered as he cupped his casa.
　The network is gradually expanding due to mycelium and plants. The information we can obtain is beginning to cover a wide range of topics, but I can't help but notice the existence of "firefly Ei" who is tearing holes in the network. I am also concerned about the "Underworld Hero" who works with Ei.

　It wasn't long after that that news about Akira Hino's current situation arrived.



　The current stronghold of Class 4 of the 2nd year is regularly visited by Giant Mama. Apparently.
　Apparently, some of the students had no idea what kind of a person the "Giant Mama" was. She was one of the five most powerful people certified by the Adventurer's Association as a "Five Divine Stars. Giant Mama, the "howling star".

　Even if they had never met Mama, they had met Nameless, the Star of Sound and Wolf. He is a black-robed man with a lowered sword, and his age is completely unknown. He's a battle junkie who wants to fight the strong, and while his skills are real, he once fought Kyousuke head-on and defeated him to perfection. That's about it. The rest of the time, he let Gozashiki and Kabeano escape when they were almost caught by the Imperial side.

　If one had witnessed the power of the Nameless, one could understand how fearsome Giant Mama was to be talked about in the same breath.
　At a time when they were virtually hostile to the Empire and the bloodline, the friendship that had been established with this Giant Mama was one of the few things that could be relieved to have their backing. It also helps that this relationship is a personal one and no political ties arise there.

　This was the day that the giant mama visited the base.

''Whoa...!

　With a thud, Giant Mama climbed up the mountain path and emerged. When I saw her, I couldn't help but shout out to Goubayasi.
　As the story goes, she was a middle-aged woman with a magnificent barrel-shaped body. She was over two meters tall, and with a haircut that reminded me of a courtesan tornado-up, she had gained another 50 centimeters. When it comes to power, she is no less powerful than the three-meter tall ooga, Goubayashi.

　Next to Goubayasi is Aya Sugiura. Sugiura gave a big wave and called out to her giant mama.

'Mama-san, over here!

　When he was running an inn in this stronghold, Giant Mama, who was impressed by the food Sugiura prepared, helped him run the place in the first place. Mama is a semi-retired adventurer and apparently runs a guest house in the capital of Vernetus. Since she was able to leave the management of the inn to her sons, who had graduated from college, she was free to roam the country again.
　Even though she is in semi-retirement, her ability to be counted among the Five Divine Stars is real. Sugiura says he saw Giant Mama's magic blow up a mountain.

'Here it is, Aya. It looks like you were able to meet up with your friends.

　With a somewhat heavily made-up face, Giant Mama breaks a face. Her gaze then turns to Goubayashi.

'You're an ooga, huh? You're a pretty dependable guy,
It's Gauvayash.

　Goubayashi took a deep breath once again to avoid being put off, and then greeted her.

'I've heard a lot about you. I heard that you have friends who have sided with the Empire. I don't know if it will be of any use, but I have some useful information for you.

　Then Giant Mom grins.

'Heard something?'
My husband is the captain of the Order. I'm going to tell you an inside story. May I come in?
Come in.

　Before Goubayashi could say anything else, Sugiura led his mom out. Sugiura, who was limping from the daily special training, was also excited for this moment.
　Outside, a few students continue to train in combat under Okumura's guidance. Goubayashi left Okumura in charge and followed Sugiura and the others inside.

　At the moment, they have to gather information. The original plan was to ask the Adventurer's Association to gather information through Giant Mama as well. I didn't expect Mama to come with the information first, but I'm wondering if this is good news or bad news.

　The students are taking a break inside after their special training outside. As Giant Mama sat down on a chair in the splendid lobby, the other students, curious about what was going on, came over to her.

To tell you the truth," she said, "I heard that two members of the Dial Knights have come to the peninsula.

　Mama chuckled as she sipped the tea mushrooms that were served to her. Sugiura and Goubayashi glanced at each other.

''We have the same information over here as well. "The Underworld Hero and........Black Sun, right?"
Yeah. Those two. They must come to King's Landing once. I've demanded an audience with the King of Verneus.

　Vernetus, on the outskirts of the continent, is one of the few nations that are not controlled by the central empire. Although there is an overwhelming difference in national power, various "difficult for the Empire to touch" conditions are present, such as the Beast King mountain range that functions as a natural wall, fertile land that is too good to be ruined by the fires of war, and a culture of hot spring cures rooted in the hot springs that spring out.
　Many of the imperial aristocracy also visit Vernetus for a hot spring cure. Therefore, many of them do not want to see their relationship with Vernetus deteriorate. No matter how much of an imperial clockwork alliance, operating within Verneus would require a righteous cause to the royal family.

　Speaking of the time, just when Goubayash and the other adventurer autonomous territory was engaged in a battle with the blood clans, the "Underworld Hero" was visiting the royal capital of Vernetus. He asked for help in searching for a demon in Vernetus.
　It was almost certain that the demons in the arrangement were the so-called second year four students. It meant that they had sensed by some means (probably an advertisement sent out by Ryuzaki) that the students of Class 2 Year 4 would be gathering at Verneus and had begun to search for them.

　However, according to Giant Mom, the Vernetus royal family has prodded this request.

'From the royal family's point of view, they have no reason to help. The area around here, including Zerga and the autonomous region of Zerneus, is not exclusive to demons, and there are many other factors as well.

　Anyway, because of that reason, the "Underworld Hero" and another "Black Sun", Ei Hino, were forced to operate within the country without the help of the Vernetus Kingdom. They are almost alone in trying to locate us.

　Goubayashi crossed his arms and often thought about it.
　In other words, they are currently almost alone. There is no doubt that they are a powerful enemy, or perhaps now is an opportune time to make contact.
　Their objectives, at least on the surface, were also clear: they were working to capture the students of Year 2 Class 4.

'What do you think?　Sugiura.
What, you're gonna shake mine there?

　Sugiura looked up in surprise.

'You were the leader of the Ryokan group, for one thing.
No, no, no. I'm not the type of person who judges situations like Utsurogi-kun and Goubayashi-kun. I'm really just cooking a meal in the kitchen, so...
"Hmm.

　As I thought, I'll have to consult with Kyousuke.

''But it's good information to get some perspective. Thank you.

　When Goubayashi bowed his head, the giant mama chuckled.

'Well, I'll get something in return. Aya, I'm sure you'll get the example.'
Oh, yeah. Mom, can I talk to you about that?

　Sugiura said and looked behind him. Then, the waiting mushroom shimeji walked solemnly towards us with a colander. The giant mama shifted her gaze to the inside of the colander and sighed with an admiring 'Hou' sigh.
　The thing on top of the colander was a huge matsutake mushroom. If you were to buy one in Japan, it would cost no less than a few thousand yen. And that's not all. Truffles that shine like black pearls and shiitake mushrooms with their magnificent leaves are displayed everywhere.

I see you've started growing mushrooms too. You've started growing mushrooms, too?
Mushikasa-kun is here. I'm going to start raising fish too.

　Although she is a giant mom who provides information and assistance as a favor, she is also an adventurer and as such, she asks for something in return. So far, the reward for this was the vegetables Hanazono grew in her vegetable garden, but now she wants to add mushrooms grown by Mushikasa to the reward.
　Salmonichiro Uozumi, who has been working as a combat soldier, has also expressed his desire to try his hand at fish farming, so the self-sufficient lifestyle at this base is likely to accelerate. It wouldn't be bad if he could use the fish and vegetables grown there as further bargaining chips with Giant Mama.

''Hm........''

　Mom took the mushroom from the colander and looked at it.

'....I see. It's not bad. Good, if you're going to give me this one, I'm willing to make some more moves.
There are a few things we need you to do for us.

　Goubayashi held up a finger as he leaned forward.

'First, I want you to do some research on the Adventurer's Society network. The search for our currently unaccounted for companions scattered across the continent.'
Hmm. That makes sense. Good.
'We're also looking for a way to get back to our world, a way to get back to our human form. But this is only possible if we all have the right people. And if we can do it in addition, that's fine.

　Ask the Wise Man of the Eastern Forest, was one of the few pieces of information that had been obtained in the Knight Kingdom a few months ago already. After that, everyone had been split apart due to a sudden transfer accident, so Goubayashi and the others were forced to face the problem at hand. But now that they have gained some leeway, they would like to see some more progress regarding the clues to return.
　After defeating Suou, the documents found in the blood clan's hiding place. It's a bit of a shame that I don't have that with me now. If we can find the heavy duty branch school and documents in the process of looking for other classmates, it will make it easier for us to get some clues, but that's another story for a little while longer.

　Giant Mom listens as she folds her arms and listens.

'The last thing I want is for you to lend us your strength.

　The Giant Mama's eyes narrowed slightly at Goubayashi's words.

　One of the Five Divine Stars. With a power that could be compared to that nameless one, she could be a reassuring ally in clashing with the Empire and the Blood Clan. If Giant Momma could function as a substantial force, that alone would change the outlook considerably. That was what I was asking for in anticipation of that.

''All these mushrooms aren't quite enough to ask for that guy.

　But Mom said it.

"I'm doing you a favor," she said, "and I'm doing you a favor. So if you're in any kind of danger, I'm willing to help you. But this may result in a lo-ha situation, but if you're counting on my combat abilities and want to use them, that's another story altogether.
Yeah, that makes sense.
''My skills as an adventurer aren't cheap, as expected. He's still a five-star.

　This was an answer that was somewhat predictable. So there was nothing that could be described as discouraging.
　Even at this point in time, we have some flexibility as friends. I won't be able to say too much selfishness.

　On top of that, Goubayashi made this proposal.

''Then, if I were to ask you to be my partner in a mock battle, how much compensation would be required?
"Huh?
''We have to fight the Imperial Clockwork Alliance (Dial Knights) and the senior levels of the bloodline. We are still training for battle, but we need a partner to measure our abilities. If we get wiped out in a rush, it will be all-consuming.

　We crossed a very dangerous bridge against Shacko last time, too. I don't think they can keep up that kind of success forever.
　If there's an opportunity to borrow a chest from the Five Divine Stars, I'll take advantage of that opportunity. To clash with the Underworld Hero and the current Ei, I'll have to be prepared and ready to do just that.

　Giant Mama crossed her arms and thought for a while, but eventually she grinned and replied.

'All right. I'll give you a special price on that one.



'And so it came to pass.

　Goulin Yuanzong said in a communication over the tomatoes.

　Kyousuke and the others had reached the Evil Spirit Marshland through the dense forest. The night in the marshland was dark, and for some reason the stars dancing and beating in the sky seemed distant.

'So it's a mock battle against Mom. I hope we can get back before then too.''

　Kyousuke replied, scratching his head.
　Speaking of the Five Divine Stars, Kyousuke had been completely defeated by Nameless once. Although I don't think he's rooted in it, I have a feeling that he's gotten a little stronger since then and wants to test out how well his power has become viable.

''Anyway, we've opened up a lot of information. It's good to have some perspective.

　It is good news for Kyousuke that the movements of the Underworld Hero and the Ei who works with them have become clearer. On top of that, he was cautious about what Goubayashi said, ''Should we take this as an opportunity?
　Both Ei and the underworld heroes are strong enemies. In order to have a fair discussion, a certain amount of prep work will be necessary. But if they continue to return to the Empire, or if the Empire seems to be coming to support them, I can understand the argument that now is the time to set up negotiations with them.

''Does Hino still let them swim?''
If I were there, I would have moved on in a heartbeat.

　Kyousuke mutters.

'If I'm around, Ei shouldn't be able to take hardball tactics. But if, for example, Goubayash is headed to negotiate, that guy can't take violent measures, probably not.

　Right now, Ei could be considered to be superior to Goubayashi in terms of simple fighting strength. There was a high risk that the student who joined forces with the underworld heroes and went there would be caught in the opposite direction.
　Kyousuke believes that if he can go himself, he can become a stopper.

''You are quite confident, aren't you?
As for that guy, well...

　Kyousuke looks up at the void in a daze and responds.

'If I do say so myself, he's a pain in the ass. He is.'
"You've been around long enough to see it.

　Goubayashi's words were heavily laced with implications.

'Was Ryuzaki a troublesome guy too?
"Of course. You know how many times I've had to clean up that guy's mess.... No, that's good.'

　It was the first time Kyousuke had ever heard him complain about Ryuzaki. No, not just Kyousuke, but maybe none of his classmates had ever heard Goubayashi say these words to him.
　Hearing that, Kyousuke felt nostalgic for a moment. He felt that Goubayashi's mannerisms to Ryuzaki, including the way he mended his flat voice, were very similar to Ei's mannerisms to him.

''Utsurogi, I have yet to hear your opinion on the matter of Hino, in detail.''
Hmm?
"I hear Hino is aiding the Empire for good. What do I have to do to get this Hino away from the Empire?
'Oh...'

　Kyousuke vaguely replied, wondering if he hadn't told her that.

''Hmmm.... I don't have a concrete plan, though.
"Hmm.
'He's not handy enough to get around on his own. He's a stopper when I'm about to do something, but he doesn't know how to put the brakes on himself. That's why he does it too much. I'm sure he knows that his current situation is not good for us, but he doesn't know how to apply the brakes. But he doesn't know how to put the brakes on.
"Deep down, you want to get back on our side?
No, I don't really like to talk about this stuff, to be honest, but...

　If he had the facial muscles there, Kyousuke would have smiled quite bitterly.

''That guy doesn't have a strong enough personality to hold that position until he fights with me.

　It's always been that way.

　No matter how strongly Ei remonstrated against Kyousuke, it was based on the trust between them. No matter how much was said, there was a bond between Kyousuke and Ei.
　But now that I think about it, it seems to me that it was a very distorted bond.

''In other words, you've never had a fight with Hino?''
Well, yeah.
'That's not good. It's a good idea to take this opportunity to do it once.'
Has Goubayashi ever had a fight with Ryuzaki?

　Kyousuke asks, curious about what Goubayashi said. Across the tomatoes, Goubayashi chuckled.

''Every so often. Most of the time, we break.''

　It was a surprising and understandable story.

'I understand for now. I'll leave the matter of Hino up to you. Hurry back.
Yeah, okay. Thanks.

　With those words, he ends the communication.

''Fight with Ei......... A quarrel......... I wonder if he's okay with doing that........

　Kyousuke muttered to himself. Ei is weak and fragile. He knows that very well.

　If she fought with him head on and those feelings would explode. Looking at Ei's current strength, that could lead to a bit of a catastrophe.
　It's been a long time since Kyousuke lost his heart, but as expected, this was the only time he couldn't stop feeling upset.


Meltdown: 9 days to go