*

　Fene moved along the river with a light gait.
　Each time she did so, the sound of curling, curling echoed through the forest.
　The sound emanates from the bell around Fene's neck.
　It's a bell to avoid monsters.
　But it is not a magic item.
　It's the same as the bear repellent bell to let people know you are here.
　It's a bit unreliable, but according to Fene, it's enough.
　The reason for this is because monsters other than the undead are afraid of humans.
　They are not instinctively afraid, but rather the result of learning that humans are terrifying.
　On the other hand, it also means that if they learn that humans are easy prey for them to hunt, they will attack us.

It's idyllic, isn't it?
Just make sure you're careful.
I know.

　Yuka's lips twitched sulkily and she tightened her grip on her staff.
　She wore the equipment she had just bought.
　She wears leather armor reminiscent of a corset over a white sailor suit, and then a black cape over it.
　Protecting his feet are brand new boots.

'Come to think of it, you also bought a grimoire. Did you learn any new magic?
It's not so easy to remember.
Is that so?
Yes!

　When Makoto questioned her, Yuka raised her voice a bit. If you say that much, you have to agree that that's the way it is.

''What about you?''
I don't remember any new magic. And my ability to hear voices isn't very stable.

　Maybe there are some conditions, but I've been unable to verify them.

What about materialization?
I haven't tried it since.

　I'm afraid to try it for fear of being in severe pain, but I don't think I need to confide in them honestly.
　I can see that if I confess, I'll be called gutless.

'It's not like I'm useless, is it?　It's not going to be fancy to say that when it comes down to it, you can't use it and it was wiped out.
Not likely.
How do you know that if you haven't tried it?
I know something about it.

　Mako replied, feeling disgusted.
　I have no proof, but I have confidence that I can materialize the flame.
　And by the way, I'm also confident that I can go even further.

''Well I believe it.''
I don't feel like I can trust you at all?
It's all in your head.

　Yuka answered immediately.
　If you ask a question, you'll end up being upset, said Makoto, looking at Fene, who was moving forward.
　The distance is much further away.
　It's not enough to lose sight of, but there's a chance you won't be able to handle it when the time comes.

''Don't go ahead by yourself too much!
I know!

　Fene stopped and replied, but he quickly moved on by himself.
　It's like a child in a hurry.

''Do you really understand?''
You want me to show you a good time.
Why?
It's because I'm in love with you.
There you go again.

　Mako moaned.
　'It looks like he wants to make love to you at all costs.

'I heard. You saved him from being beaten up and then paid his debt?
To whom?
You know who he is.

　Yuka is grinning and smiling like a bad person.
　I can't help but wonder what fun this guy is having.

It's a good thing that you're in love with the idea of being able to reach out in a pinch. It's what you call the "suspension bridge effect.
It's not the same as the suspension bridge effect, is it?

　That should have been mistaking the reaction to danger for love.

'I think you're just being indebted to me.
That's why you're single and single-handed.
Neither one of them has anything to do with it.

　Mako let out a deep sigh.

'By that logic, you'd be in love with me too, wouldn't you?
..........................haha, just kidding.

　Yuka stared at Makoto silently, then looked up at the sky, returned her gaze, and then snickered.

You're an a**h*le.
Because you're a boring joke.
It's just a story.
We've been through a lot of hardships. But this was a genuine threat to our lives. There's no room for error.
Well, yeah.

　Makoto said, and Yuka put her hand over her mouth and gave a nasty smile.

'Could it be that you're in love with me or something?'
That's one thing I don't like.
You're disgusting!

　Yuka shouted hoarsely.

'What is it about me that you're not happy with!
Where does your high self-esteem come from?
I'm a beautiful woman and I'm very smart.
Don't say it yourself.

　Mako muttered quietly.
　I don't know if she's smart, but she certainly has a face that could be described as beautiful.
　However, what would he do if he said it himself?

''You, you've been living your school life like that?''
No way. Of course he was wearing a cat.

　The tone of voice says it's not natural.

'You didn't have enough cats, did you?'
What do you mean?

　Yuka raised her eyebrows and asked back.

'It's not like those three didn't like you. Maybe you should have been more thorough in your acting.
Gosh, that's annoying.

　I moaned as if I had just been hit in a sore spot.

'So what's your beef?'
I think you can guess from the conversations we've had.
Where?
Character.
You're such an a**h*le!

　Yuka raised her voice again.

'I think you're pretty much the same,'
I don't need it.

　It's the height of selfishness.

I wish you'd at least deliberated.
'You're weird for liking tsundere and being an alumnus.
I didn't say that.

　I immediately ramble on.

'Well, is it cute to think of you crying in bed,'
...did you hear me?
You've been crying.
Hey, I'm not crying!
Oh, I see, you've been crying.
'I'm not crying!　I'm not crying!

　When Makoto grinned, Yuka denied it, her face red with embarrassment.

'No, it's fine. You're a high school girl, you don't have to put up with it.'
That's why I'm not crying!
'You're going through some sort of self-loathing after your rant or something.
No, I didn't!　Because I didn't!
Wait.
I'm not a dog!

　From the tone of his voice, he thought he should give priority to Fene, but the thought didn't seem to get through.
　Makoto ignored Yuka and headed down to Fene's bottom.
　Fene was crouched at the river's edge.
　The corpse of a deer with a large gouge in its side was lying out of sight.
　It seemed to be some kind of monster, its antlers were like blades.
　It had been dead for some time, or maybe it had been dead for some time, and wigs had sprung up in the wound.

''What's wrong?''
Corpse.
I can see that.
"The Monster's Corpse.
That's... no more.

　This time it would be 'the corpse of a monster with a large gut in its side'.
　If that's the case, you'd better get on with your story.

'What's wrong with the corpse?'
There's a...
Jesus Christ, what happened? Ew, not a dead body.

　Yuka interrupts Fene's words.

It's not going to happen.
It's not my fault.

　Yuka's lips twitched in a huff.

'Please continue,'
Soze Deer is a rather strong monster.
Does that mean there's a monster strong enough to take him down?
That's what I mean. Judging by this wound, I'd say it's an Evil Grizzly.
It sounds like a sinister name.
"The strongest monster in the neighborhood.

　Fene said in a stifled voice.

'What kind of monster is this?'
"Simply put, magical brown bear.
Do bears do magic?
You know how many monsters use magic?

　Fene has a scowl on her face.

'Don't monsters use magic in your world, my brothers?
Magic itself doesn't exist.
Huh? It's a great world.
It's all about cultural differences, isn't it?

　A world with magic looks awesome to the inhabitants of a world with magic, and a world with science looks awesome to the inhabitants of a world with science, and a world with magic looks awesome to the inhabitants of a world with science.

So what kind of magic do you use?
Each individual demon bear has different attributes.
You mean, you don't know?
Fire, water, earth or wind.
Sounds like a nasty piece of work.

　Mako crossed her arms.
　He even uses magic even though he's troublesome just because he's a brown bear.
　I don't think it's possible to be stronger than the Skeleton Lord--''

'You said they're the strongest in the neighborhood, but how strong are they?　Is that about the Skeleton General?
"Skeleton General?

　Fene tilted her head curiously.
　Come to think of it, Skeleton General was a name Mako had taken the liberty of giving him.

''It's a skeleton wearing white and silver armor.
You can't compare yourself to those legendary monsters.

　Fene said with a laugh.

'Legendary grade?'
The monster is said to be in the labyrinth where I met my brothers. It is said that the knight's group that was exploring the dungeon a long time ago was driven to the brink of destruction. Well, the dungeon containing the legendary monster has been captured as well.

　Fane's shoulders slumped disappointedly.

'If the dungeon hadn't been conquered, I wouldn't have been beaten up by the debt collectors.
Hey, hey, hey.
Shut up.

　Fortunately, I should say, Fene doesn't seem to have noticed.

''Do you want to step back for a moment?''
No, I'm just here to collect the herbs.
"Geez, it's not like I can't take care of my own needs!　That's my brother!

　Fane clenched his fists.
　He just thought it would be an easy win if he was weaker than Skeleton General, but he took it as a brave decision.
　My guilt is stimulated~, Makoto scratched his head.



　A few hours later--

I feel like a salmon.
It's not even noon.

　Makoto poked at Yuka, who was walking next to him.
　I don't know how long the salmon run, but at least they must be swimming longer than we are.
　Even the fish would be pissed off if I said I knew how this felt.

'Hey, are we there yet?'
It's almost there.

　When Yuka asked, Fene answered in a small voice.
　For the umpteenth time, I'm not fed up with the question.
　I'm simply tired.
　It's also because of the wasteful consumption of energy due to the hustle and bustle, but the main cause is the level difference.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it.

''Do you want to take a break?''
Here it is!

　Fene shouted and started running furiously.
　There was a small waterfall ahead of them.
　Blackish rocks jutted out and the waterfall basin was about the size of a little pond.
　When Makoto and the others caught up, Fene was picking at the moss growing on the rocks.

'Is that a medicinal herb?'
Yeah!

　Fene offered the moss to Mako.
　The tanginess of the smell irritated my nostrils.
　It's a vaguely refreshing smell.

I'm sure you've smelled that somewhere, right?

　The next moment I put my nose up to the moss, a window appeared.
　It said 'Horseradish Moss' on it.

'What's its name?'
It's called horseradish.

　Apparently, the name in the window was not wrong.

'Why do you ask that?'
I put my nose up to the moss and it displayed my name.
My brother has an appraisal.
'Well, yeah. It didn't show up when I went to buy the equipment...
Brother, I can only testify on a pre-processed copy.
Seriously?

　Mako moaned softly.

'Periolis-sama isn't all-powerful, so it can't be helped.
Periolis?
It was in the spell.

　When Makoto mumbled to himself in a parrot, Yuka added in a dumbfounded tone.

''You know that voice when the level goes up, right?　That's Mr. Periolis.
So you're saying that Periolis is the one who sent you?
Yes. The one who used Master Periolis was Apeiron.
There's another name for it.
That's two more.
Would it help if you said it in a nutshell?
The one who descended on this world a long time ago was Apeiron-sama, and the one who is in charge of managing it is Periolis, and the one who actually works there is the spirit of fire, water, earth and wind.

　Fene was silent for a moment before answering.

'You're a wizard, aren't you, Yuka?　So why are you chanting the name of Periolis?
Because that's how it works.

　This is why instant wizards, I spit out in my mind.

'What about 'Luno Cesta Agata'?'
It's like a password for doing magic.
So, you mean, that's what Perioleis is, like a system?
I don't know, okay?
So much for improvised wizards.
'I'm sorry for being an impromptu wizard!　For the most part, even you don't understand what kind of logic you're using magic for!

　When I swore, Yuka said back with a terrific swagger.

''Well, yeah.''
You don't need to know the details of the structure to drive the car.

　Hmph, Yuka sniffed.

''.......I think faith is important, regardless of the logic.

　Fane blurted out and put the moss in a small bottle he took from the porch.

'There's still plenty more, but do you need to take it?'
There are rules about harvesting medicinal plants.
Is this one of those wild plants you don't want to run out of?
That's what I mean. Besides, if people hear about all the medicinal herbs, you'll be cut down to pieces.

　Fene tucked the vial into the pouch.

'All that's left to do is hand the bottle to the church and the request is over.
Okay.

　Mako nodded and looked up to the heavens.
　The sun was approaching the mid-heaven.
　It would be evening before they reached the city.
　He didn't feel tired.
　That should be the same for Yuka.

''We'll get some food and then we'll be back.
Are you hungry?
Yeah, I'm starving.

　I'm not going to lie, but the real goal is to give Fene a break.
　She noticed that, and she looked frustrated.
　Mako dropped back to where the splashes wouldn't fly and sat down.
　Just as he put his hand on the porch, he felt her gaze on him.
　He stood up and looked around.

'What's wrong?'
I felt their eyes on me.
Isn't this your imagination?
I'm not imagining it.

　Reflexively, I looked up and saw a woman standing over the waterfall.
　A tall woman.
　Her skin is sallow and dark, and her body is muscular.
　Her eyes are sharp and she has a wild look to them.
　The impression is reinforced by an old scar and a small but sharp horn carved from the right forehead to the cheek.
　That kind of thing is also called bikini armor, Makoto thought as he looked up.
　He wears a basket hand and leg armor, but his torso is only protected by leather armor like a tube top.
　His lower body is only a loincloth with a front hanging down.
　He is carrying a pole hammer as tall as his body, which implies he is a warrior.
　Incidentally, she has quite large breasts.

''Ora-o!''

　With that, the woman jumped off the waterfall.
　The ground shook as she landed, probably due to her muscularity.
　There seemed to be no damage and she was slowly approaching us.

'Bah, bison horn people.

　Fene hid behind Mako.

'I'm Liv of the Bison Horn tribe, a mercenary and adventurer.
I am Makoto, a human adventurer.
Oh, okay, Makoto.

　The woman - Liv broke her face.
　A friendly smile.
　But as soon as she noticed Fene, she frowned.

'Hmm?　Do you hang out with the Foxtail tribe?
What? You got a problem with that?
'I thought it was unusual for you cowards to be outside the walls.
"If we're cowards, the Bison Horns are brain trusts in a hurry to die!
What?

　When Liv bared her teeth and threatened him, Fene hid behind Mako.
　It didn't seem wrong to say that the Foxtail tribe was cowardly.

'Why are you fighting with them when you've never met them before?
Yeah, it's a bit of a tribal warp.

　Liv scratched her cheek awkwardly and held out her hand.

'Don't zonk out. It's a handshake, a handshake.'
Why?
It's a tribal custom, custom.

　Then he bared his teeth and smiled.
　It's a fierce smile, unlike the friendly smile I saw earlier.

'Well, okay, though.'
Thanks.

　When Makoto grabbed his hand back, Liv put some effort into it.
　Maybe it's because of the level difference, but I don't feel any pain at all.
　However, judging from the fact that the muscles are ridged, he seems to be putting a considerable amount of force into it.

''Is it a tribal custom to compare forces at the first meeting?
No, that's just my style.
Oh, yeah?
Ggh!

　When Makoto lightly exerted himself, Liv bent his knees.
　But it seems he hasn't given up yet, and his muscles are still rising.

'Haha, you're strong!　But the game is here to stay!

　His muscles rise even more and his body grows larger.
　Mindlessly, the power in his hands seems to be increasing as well.

'A skill?'
Yes, we Bison Horns have a unique skill that increases our muscle power, but we're not very good at magic. But they don't have much of a magical talent for it.
I don't envy you.

　Maybe humans don't have any weaknesses and instead have no prominence.

I'm going.
Yeah.

　Liv tried to get up, but quickly stopped moving.

'Oh no, it's not supposed to be like this,'
You can use both hands.
'You can't be so shameless!
'Is it okay to pretend to shake hands and have a power contest?

　Mako let out a small sigh and put more pressure on her hands.
　He didn't mean to put that much effort into it, but Liv's face contorted in pain.

''What can I say, seeing a guy who's proud of his strength contort his face in pain makes me cringe.
You're a pervert!

　Liv pushes back, but the movement stops when Makoto puts the slightest amount of effort into it.

'Good grief!　Just snap your arm off!
Don't say anything scary.

　Mako let out another sigh and shook his hand off.
　Liv was pouting, as if she hadn't expected to be unshaken.

'Oh, d*mn it!　I'm losing!

　Liv stood up, scratching her head wildly.
　Mako's eyes widened lightly.
　He had only thought he would never admit defeat.

''You have a surprisingly graceful personality.
You got beat up pretty good. Even if it wasn't me, I'd still admit defeat. But Makoto's still powerful.
'Not so much. I'm sure the libs will catch up with us soon enough if they want to.
Well, a guy as strong as Makoto makes you do it.

　Liv rubbed the bridge of her nose in embarrassment.

'By the way, what's Mako doing here?'
I'm here to pick up some herbs.
'Hmmm, wouldn't Makoto be able to make money without having to take that kind of job?　I can put you in touch with a job offer if you want.
I appreciate the offer, but I wanted to test my skills.

　There's no guarantee that the place you were introduced to is decent.
　And even though I've got the brains of Fene, I'm still unfamiliar with the common sense of this world.

''I see, I wanted to fight with Mako.
Sorry. You should do it again sometime. And what have you been doing in the woods?
I'm supposed to be raising the bar.
Aren't solos dangerous?
I'm pushing myself.

　Liv smiled ferociously.

'Then I'm going to go.
Yeah, I'll see you later.

　Liv fluttered and waved her hand as she headed into the forest.