Chapter 116: The Mechanic Learns About Monsters
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel looks at the two newest additions to his team with the task of seeking out the highest poptions of monsters in Mattarglos to investigate the cause and, if possible, remove it. Now that Senn has proven to be a rtively neutral acquaintance, Vaergraes suggested she apany them on the mission to investigate monster urrence in Mattarglos, since Rikuto should be preupied with the retaliatory invasion for the time being. Ahok revealed during the nightly check-in that the void artillery consumes a massive amount of mana, which required an absurd amount of ‘enhanced magic crystals’ for the necessary magic density. And, since the only known source of diamonds suitable to be magic crystals in the quantities needed for the weapons is now under Fievegal control, he can only recharge the ones he has, which is time consuming for even the small army of mages and magic artisans he managed to collect.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel’s not sure where the financing ising from, but he may be conquering a territory that will be a financial liability immediately. Thankfully, the Grand Duchy is stable enough, and ships are already being built to begin trade with the Fievegal directly, which will benefit the citizens of both territories.
<span style="font-weight:400">In the present, though, Daniel can’t help but be amused by Senn, a legendary mage in the world of Zenkon, clutching the armrests of her seat in the shuttle as she sits with her head back, eyes closed firmly. It’s taking every bit of her willpower to rx on a vehicle even she never imagined. From what he has judged, most of the divine summons from Earth came from much older eras, while the one that caused Kaeralegier to seal herself away came from a simr era to Daniel. But, it seems shepletely immersed herself in the fantasy world, abandoning virtually all of her attachments to Earth.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel didn’t want toe to Zenkon, and he might’ve refused if asked. He’s happy now, but he had lots offorts and luxuries in life, and there’s no great reason to deny himself what he can build. He has to be a little more mindful about the bnce of power on Zenkon, but he became embroiled in that the moment he saved Erimaya’s life. No, perhaps sooner, when he agreed to be Wenlianna’s assistant.
<span style="font-weight:400">Next to Senn, Veiranoei’s seat is empty. She’s in one of the corners, emptying the contents of her stomach into a disposable bag made out of a dried animal skin.
<span style="font-weight:400">Vaergraes remarks gently, “Poor girl. You’ll get used to it in time.”
<span style="font-weight:400">It hits Daniel suddenly, and he says softly, “I can’t do anything now, but remind me before we return. I have some medicine for you, Vaeranoei.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“M-Medicine…?” asks the poor young woman wearily. “C-Can’t I have some now…?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t…” Daniel trails off. The cebo effect can work both positively and negatively, and he knows from personal experience, this treatment works. He doesn’t need to nt any ideas in her mind.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure, let me find it.” Daniel cycles through his magic bag, and Hekate asks, “What are you looking for? Antivenom potation?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nope. Even better.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel keeps some fresh in his magic bag in case he ends up on a boat and needs it for himself, though he’s working on drying plenty for distribution.
<span style="font-weight:400">And, that would be ginger, a nt Daniel was able to find thanks to Geirahoel’s tireless and unfaltering efforts to extract things Daniel likes from him to improve her repertoire. Just describing it was enough for her to find a few that matched closely, including a couple she considered weeds before Daniel revealed that they add great vor to meals, such as mint and rosemary. They aren’t exactly like the Earth mint and rosemary, but the vor is close enough, and Xyreko confirmed they are non-toxic.
<span style="font-weight:400">As for ginger, he’s pretty sure it is a nearly identical nt, down to the flowers that it grows and the root which contains the magic of the nt -literally and metaphorically-.
<span style="font-weight:400">He finds some ginger root, and he cuts off a few pieces in small chunks, roughly the size of his index fingernail. He needs to figure out the right size for actual dose measurements, which could end up being different for a gatonine anyways, but he’ll start small and work his way up.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel walks carefully to the back of the shuttle, which is flying rather smoothly. He offers her one of the pieces. “Take two of these now, and take the other two before we take off again. It should prevent you from feeling sick on the way back.” She nods, taking them without hesitation while Daniel swiftly gets his water canteen, handing it over for her to wash them down. It’s obviously spicy, but she manages, and she coughs a little. She asks wearily, “Th-this will really help?”
<span style="font-weight:400">She looks absolutely pitiful, but Daniel sympathizes. He has been seasick many times on smaller boats, and a few times on his carrier. But, thankfully, unless the sea was really rough, and as long as he stayed hydrated, he usually didn’t have any issues. “I personally can vouch for it. Sorry I didn’t think to ask before.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s okay…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“If you can, I’d like to return you to your seat. It’s safer if something happens.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She nods, and Daniel helps her up, escorting her back to her seat as she slowly lumbers forward, carrying her bag in her left hand. Daniel gets her seated, and he says gently, “You will get used to it, but it can help if you can keep your eyes on the horizon. Otherwise, don’t look at anyone or anything that can move.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Daniel…” groans Senn softly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“C-Can… I have some medicine, too?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel replies, “Sure.” He retrieves the ginger once more, cutting it into simr small pieces. He carefully takes Senn’s hand, turning it over while holding her wrist to help her feel secure.
<span style="font-weight:400">She asks, “Wh-what happens if I take all of it now?” She also doesn’t look great, but she’s enduring.
<span style="font-weight:400">“To my knowledge, the worst it should do is make your insides feel like they’re burning, with some damage possible, but…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn immediately pitches the full amount Daniel gave her, swallowing it forcefully. She gasps as she coughs from the spiciness. Daniel quickly gives her his canteen, and she drinks vigorously.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate taunts them a little, “For someone so mighty in magic, you’re nearly crippled by simply travelling?” She snickers behind her hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel reassures both of his patients, “Don’t mind her. She’s afraid of heights.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Daniel!” Vaergraes, Doephluev, Kera’tai and Neith all chuckle at her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“C-Can I take the rest of m-mine too?” asks the gatonine knight. Daniel replies, “Yes, though it might be a little less effective, and could trigger you to… uh… expel, if it irritates your stomach. Next time, it’ll be in powder form, which absorbs much more quickly and takes effect even faster.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Veiranoei nods. “P-Please do.” She gets her own water bottle this time, drinking from it and taking the rest of her ginger. Daniel prepares some more for them so that they have it handy for when the group makes the return trip. Though Daniel doesn’t usually see the void bag technology in the east, Senn has one, which she stores the ginger in. He’ll try to remember to ask Sennter if she knows why that is. Just from what she has mentioned, she has to be several millennia old, but she acts very down-to-earth, so to speak. At times, she can speak like a stoic anime elf skilled at hunting evil demons with her human apprentice, observing time on a much different scale than anyone else. At others, she gets airsick in a magic shuttle.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel takes his seat again, and Hekate immediately takes his hand to chew on his wrist, grumbling, “Why gyou got goo bwab abou’ tha’ thin’?” grumbles the childish feldrok empress through her teeth gnawing on Daniel’s bracer.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel chuckles, and Vaergraes offers gently to defuse the situation, “If it makes you feel any better, Hekate, I am afraid of deep water.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The feldrok cocks her head with Daniel’s wrist still in her mouth, her ears flopping to the side with her curiosity. “Wa’er?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel scoffs, and he gently pries her mouth off of his wrist, though she still holds his arm with her hands. Vaergraes also giggles, “That’s right. I don’t know why, but I don’t favor the sea or even deepkes… like the one that spreads around the Citadel.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then, why do you live with us?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t <i><span style="font-weight:400">mind</i><span style="font-weight:400"> the water being there. I just can’t be over top of deep water. I never have been able to. I think my grandfather used to take me on a boat, but I never liked it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate ponders for a moment, and she plops back down into her seat. “I suppose it’s natural then. Daniel, what are you afraid of?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Tons of things. Spiders are probably the main one.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But there are no spiders on Zenkon!” retorts Hekate.
<span style="font-weight:400">Heughs. “What? You want me to have fears readily avable? Besides, Arachne is kind of like a spider, which is actually how I chose her name.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel nods. “She’s named after a woman who challenged a goddess to a weaving contest and won, and the goddess was enraged by her hubris for evenparing herself to the gods and goddesses, so she turned the woman into a spider.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I think you told me that one, now that you mention it…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Speaking of Arachne,” starts Vaergraes. “Should we need her aid, I can summon her to our location, though it will take time and most of my mana to do so.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sounds good. We’ll leave her on defense with the others, though. For our investigations, we want to be small and fast.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“There should be few monsters that can handle this party,” states Neith. “Yourself and Veiranoei will be our priority to defend.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Remember we’re not trying to burn down the country. We want to minimize coteral damage if we can.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Ucahote’s voice calls from the cockpit, “Your Grace, we are approaching the location.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Bring us low, but keep us airborne and watch for ambushes. I assume there are avian monsters just as there are any others.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course, your Grace. Descending now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The shuttle angles slightly as the golem pilots it lower, and Neith asks, “My Liege, I have a request for a time when things are rather tranquil. Would I be able to learn to pilot these shuttles?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. Reducing the roles of golems where possible is a goal of mine longterm, but we need to get our poption up.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you, Sire. If there is anything else I can do to assist, always be sure to tell me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure thing.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate climbs up to look out of the side windows, looking down. The area they’re in consists of rolling hills covered inrge swaths of green of the various trees. “Thisnd is beautiful…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I agree,” murmurs Kera’tai as she watches the forest below on the rolling hills.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel looks out the same window, replying gently, “It is, isn’t it? There’s something about seeing new terrain that just adds to the beauty.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate and Kera’tai both nod. The feldrok girl teases, “We should conquer it.” She looks at Veiranoei deviously, while Vaergraes and Neith chuckle.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel stands up and asks, “Any signs of trouble, Ucahote?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“None currently, your Grace, though I can identify several monsters.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is it as simple as too much mana that mutates them?” asks Daniel.
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn, having settled her stomach a little, murmurs, “It''s difficult to witness the change ur, and can be slow or fast. I’ve only encountered two people that could create monsters intentionally; an elf and an archoneldwyn. Though, I suspect the feldroks could have. They just refused to do so.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate hums proudly, “Hmm-hmm. Of course.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hekate, you weren’t even born at that time,” retorts Daniel yfully.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So!?” She crosses her arms, puffing out her chest. “It’s good to know that my probable ancestors were good people, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s fine, but it’s more important how their cute little descendant behaves,” replies Daniel as he ruffles her hair.
<span style="font-weight:400">The human mechanic studies the terrain, looking for any obvious living creatures. But, his simple human eyes can’t spot anything obvious through the trees.
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn finishes her answer, “To answer your question, I don’t know for sure. Though, it seems to be the main cause. They end up with a lot of mana for a non-sapient being, and they don’t need sustenance to survive.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ucahote, any obvious concentrations of mana?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“The center of the world, your Grace,” replies the golem without hesitation.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel scoffs. “You can’t narrow it down?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not in the way that living things and their mana can be detected.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mana is refined in the body,” exins Kera’tai, beating Senn and Doephluev to the answer. “In the world atrge, it is noise, where in a living being, it is a voice. Finding a person through their mana is like looking for their voice, and seeing how strong they are, when it isn’t concealed, is like looking for the loudness of their voice.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That… makes a lot of sense. Thank you, Kera’tai.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Doephluev pouts and hugs his right arm. “I was going to say the same, my love!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate grunts, “Ugh… So, what do we do now?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel thinks for a moment. “Well, radiation is kind of the same way. You can’t hear it, so to find it, we made a device that could detect the near exact amount of radiation by clicking faster or slower based on how much is present. At least, that was one method.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And, you have an idea on how to detect natural mana in a simr manner?” asks Vaergraes, intrigued by Daniel’s train of thought.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I do. And, we should have the parts we need to do it on the airship, so long as we can get a hold of ss from a craftsman back in town.” He looks at Veiranoei, who is also recovering from her airsickness.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ss? Th-That’s all you need?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Wenlianna once exined that ss glows pretty easily when exposed to mana because it dumps the mana just as quickly.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn retorts a little coldly, “I would like to think someone would have noticed if ss could track down mana.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel smiles. “And, if the device I intend to make existed already, then I probably wouldn’t have anything to offer Mattarglos. I’m not a fool. Well, not in general, anyways. I know greater minds than mine would have been pursuing answers to the monsters for much longer than I could ever hope to live, but one of my favorite quotes from my world is this; ‘if I have been able to see further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ Sir Isaac Newton.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn remains quiet, epting his answer. Hekate counters, “Daniel, you’re going to live forever. Me and <i><span style="font-weight:400">those</i><span style="font-weight:400"> women will make sure of it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He chuckles and pets her head. “That remains to be seen, Sweetpea. So, what do you guys think? Should we investigate the ground a bit, or return and make a mana detector first?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’d like to see these monsters myself,” replies Hekate. “We need information to formte a battle n! R-Right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel nods. “That’s right.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I agree with her Greatness,” adds Neith. “Though I sense nothing strong enough to bring harm as long as we’re careful, knowing the ss and types of monsters present should help us narrow down the possible sources once the mana detector is operable.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I care not what we do, so long as I get to remain by your side,” replies Doephluev with her usual smug-edged affection. She’s not instigating Hekate the way Ryuogriar does, but using the art of repetition to continuously insist on being closer to Daniel. Regardless, Hekate snatches Daniel’s left arm, pulling him towards herself. “Yeah, yeah. We get it. You’re an evil seductress.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Doephluev giggles, “Oh my! You tter me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Any objections to scouting the ground?” asks Daniel to finally move forward.
<span style="font-weight:400">Vaergraes smiles, shaking her head, and Senn, Kera’tai, and Veiranoei also have no objections. Daniel instructs Ucahote tond them outside a rough area containing more monsters, and he equips his weapons, checking Nemaisol.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“{You know, Daniel, I could detect mana for you. Want me to make the clicky sounds of a Geiger counter?}”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> A crackling sound starts toe from the sword, and Daniel quickly replies, <i><span style="font-weight:400">Please don’t.</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Daniel?” asks Hekate, looking at Nemaisol.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t ask.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She stares at the sword for a moment, deciding she has a pretty good idea of what urred.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">I appreciate the offer, Kaeralegier, but I think the device will narrow it down better, and others will be able to use it. Plus, I assume using you to detect mana will cause you to absorb more mana than you can waste.</i>
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“{Hmm… A fair point. I’ll stay in standby, then. Don’t hesitate to draw me. Like little Hekate, you are racking up quite arge debt to me. Eeheeheehee!}”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel sighs to himself, though Hekate twitches. “Daniel, I feel like I was just insulted.” She res at the sword.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just your imagination. Let’s go.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The group finally disembarks the shuttle, and Daniel carries a semi-automatic rifle at the ready. Hekate carries her ice ster, and Veiranoei grips her sword cautiously as she follows them. Senn withdraws a staff of her own from her magic bag, which looks like a very old branch from some kind of tree with a multi-pointed crystal that kind of looks like the head of a mace, but glows with a myriad of colors that swirl slowly within. Kera’tai is carrying one of Daniel’s sidearms, but she is primarily using a true magic staff to defend the group with magic.
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn remarks, “Interesting. Though I assumed ‘demon staves’ were firearms, they do not match what was described to me in the past.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate boasts, “That’s because Daniel’s weapons are the strongest and most amazing ever.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“They certainly hurt a lot,” adds Doephluev with a coldness.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is an interesting idea, but I don’t understand how a projected chunk of metal canpete with magic.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Neith chuckles, “Then, you’ve never been hit by one.” Neith lifts his bangs to show the scar on his forehead where Daniel’s railgun wounded him badly enough that it wouldn’t heal without substantial amounts of magic, and Neith decided to keep it as a conversation piece and a badge of honor; “This is proof that I narrowly survived the Harbinger of Cmity.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kera’tai chuckles nervously in agreement with Neith. She wasn’t shot, but witnessed the power of his firearms firsthand as she saw the first dragon fall to a single human soldier.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Looks like little more than a scratch.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And yet, it pierced through mithril.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn goes silent.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel adds, “Humans of Earth have been making better armor for our entire history, and for every improvement to armor, we developed a better bullet. Well, after the advent of firearms.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ahead,” interrupts Doephluev. “There’s a monster approaching.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The group spreads out a little and takes cover behind trees. While the mages have very little to fear, the purpose is investigating.
<span style="font-weight:400">What emerges from the brush is a being roughly the size of a German shepard, but with a very different body. It reminds Daniel of a gigantic ferret, and its fur is messy and spiky looking. But, he recognizes the species.
<span style="font-weight:400">He whispers, “A benki?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate is crouching directly in front of him, studying it as well. Neith whispers in reply from behind another tree, “That’s right, my Liege.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“More specifically, a kamaitaizen benki,” rifies Doephluev from behind Daniel with her back against his. “It can use wind magic.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We should avoid engaging it,” urges Veiranoei. “We need a centurion and a binding mage to bring one down.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why?” asks Hekate smugly. “We have the Feldrok Sorcerer. Heeheeheehee!” Her tail bats Daniel excitedly, and she requests, “Let me shoot it, Daniel. I can hit it from here.” Hekate aims her ice ster, but Daniel gently puts his hand on her shoulder.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not yet. If either of us open fire, every monster in a mile radius will know we''re here. Neith? Can you handle this one?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Leave it to me, Sire.” The grey dragon in human form vanishes in a seeming puff of smoke.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hrmm… I thought we came here to practice fighting monsters without destruction.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“My Love is obviously concerned about hidden tricks behind the magic of these monsters. The thorusk hakkadel was able to counter his railgun.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate gasps. “That''s why you haven''t been practicing with it! And why your face smelled like the targets instead of normal.” She cups his helmet, trying to remember if he had any new scars on his face.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel chuckles, but he confirms, “She''s right. The one disadvantage to using unprecedented means is that the consequences are also unprecedented. Given what Veiranoei just said, a reliable strategy for a… kamai… uh, kamaitachi benki? It is to draw it in by withstanding its attacks and then trapping it with powerful magic for the centurion to finish off.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Veiranoei gasps. “Th-That’s right! How did you…?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That much is rather obvious, I would hope,” replies Senn. “Lightweight monsters are what tank roles are for.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Tank… role?” asks Veiranoei.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You''d waste a whole tank on a small-fry like that?” asks Hekate. Vaergraes also looks unsure.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel exins, “She means abatant that specializes in the front line, specifically drawing out enemy attacks and protecting others. It was named after the vehicle, since tanks are notorious for being immune to conventional attacks, including most rifles. You know, until anti-tank rifles were developed.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And then, became anti-dragon rifles, yes?” jokes Kera’tai warmly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate hums, understanding his exnation. “Yes, I see. Makes sense. I… think.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ll exin betterter, Sweetpea. What I really wanted us to see is this;” He points at the kamaitaizen benki. Suddenly, a gust kicks up around it, and it leaps almost instinctively away from the side the gust originated on.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate jumps to her feet. “How did it-...!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Neith, having been disrupted by the gust, is now visible, and though he didn’t take any damage, thanks to his armor, he is noticeably surprised, even from the distance the rest are.
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel exins, “The lightning bear had a passive effect with its lightning, which discharged to defend it. It could intercept ranged attacks, including bullets.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“How?” asks Vaergraes. “I’ve never heard of monsters creating magic barriers.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It wasn’t. Lightning can travel faster than a bullet, which is closer to the speed of sound. The kamaitachi benki seems to have a passive wind current around it that is a lot more potent than it appears. It can probably deflect projectiles, especially arrows. I doubt it would have survived either of our weapons, but it’s what I wanted to see.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The group watches as the benki is startled by Neith’s appearance next to it, but he quickly lunges at it, snatching it by the neck and then pivoting its head violently, silencing it at once, even as the wind picked up briefly when the benki tried to defend itself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright, I think we can move closer. Stay alert.” Daniel stands up, patting Hekate on the back. She and Doephluev bound into step with him, and Hekate asks, “How did you know?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I made an assumption based on another monster I met. But, I used a method to test it. The basics of science.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm-hmm. Makes sense,” replies the small feldrok empress.
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn, Veiranoei Kera''tai and Vaergraes join the three in walking towards Neith, who waits patiently, studying the monster he just finished.
<span style="font-weight:400">“For someone supposedlycking magic, Daniel, you are rather observant,” remarks Senn.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I probably got pretty lucky this time, but I wanted to expect something along those lines.” He touches his own cheek, which is protected by his helmet this time. “I got luckyst time that I was able to learn the lesson.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmm… I see. Well, from what you’ve told me, it’s impressive you’vee as far as you have. But, does it bother you that you are surrounded by people far stronger than you are?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. We have amon goal, and Hekate bes the Master of the Citadel if anything happens to me. I’d wish them luck.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate grumbles, “Don’t even joke about that, Daniel. It won’t stop anyone.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Which is why, if I’m ever taken hostage, it shouldn’t stop you. Anyone trying to manipte you will only ever kill me anyways. Risk my life and save me, or you’ll lose either way.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She hesitates, but Doephluev murmurs gently, “He’s right,... your Greatness. Brosjak had no intention of turning the dragons over, even if Daniel won. He would haveughed to his death just to relish in Daniel’s anger.” She gingerly holds her hand on his forearm so as to not get in his way if he needs to aim his rifle, but for once, she doesn’t have her usual confidence or arrogance.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate is also quiet for a moment, but she replies softly, “I-... I’ll always save you Daniel, because I know you’ll always save me, too.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel smiles. “Good. But let''s both do our best not to be captured.” He looks at Senn, adding, “I trust the people around me. Even the most dangerous ones.” He said it to reassure Doephluev, and he can feel her twitch, her grip tightening a little on his forearm.
<span style="font-weight:400">She does sigh, though. “You’re too trusting, my Love. Even if…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate grumbles, “For once, I agree with you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The mechanic chuckles. “I’m d that you guys have all been good at heart. After all, I trusted you with my life before anyone else, Sweetpea.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate hums, her cheeks filling with color and heat, though her own helmet hides her face from Daniel.
<span style="font-weight:400">Just before anyone adds anything else, they reach Neith, who stands up. “My Liege. It was no trouble, but I suspect you were aware of the wind barrier before I was.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel nods, exining his thinking again to Neith.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. So, you wanted to test your hypothesis.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, though we’ll have to be careful. The kamaitachi benki didn’t seem especially strong, and its element was rtively harmless.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kamaitachi?” asks Neith. “Do you mean kamaitaizen?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel cocks his head. “Oh… Yes.” He scoffs, looking at the other six with him. “Why didn’t any of you correct me?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hekate shrugs. “It’s a new monster for me. Why should I know?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I assumed you were giving it a new name, my Love,” replies Doephluev. “You are the Emperor.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I knew what you meant,” adds Senn.
<span style="font-weight:400">Vaergraes smiles. “You said it rather naturally, so I was going to ask if it’s a name from Earth.” Kera’tai nods in agreement with the archpriestess.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I… didn’t think it was my ce,” murmurs Veiranoei. “A-After all, I’m… a concubine in name only…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I prefer consort, and your opinion will always matter to me. As you can see, I can be wrong.” He looks at the Uhl’tall priestess next. “And, kamaitachi is a spirit reminiscent of a weasel, and which has des for paws, or wind des; something like that. And they ride on the wind.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ahh!” cheers Hekate. “Then we should just call it that! It’s just like the one from Earth!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It was more easily defeated than I assume a true kamaitachi would be, though I doubt even in Japanese mythology, a kamaitachi could go toe to toe with a dragon for very long. Though, I don’t know.”
<span style="font-weight:400">There’s a sudden cacophony of chaotic noise, simr to a bunch of small mammals yowling. Everyone turns towards the epicenter of the monster zone they identified. The spread of the sound was quite wide, and it was definitely more than one creature.
<span style="font-weight:400">Senn jokes as she readies her magic staff, “It seems like you’ll get to gauge it for yourself, Daniel. I do hope you get whatever information you seek from this.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Daniel checks the breach of his rifle and sets it to semi-automatic, and Hekate arms her ice ster’s primer.
<span style="font-weight:400">The human mechanic trapped in another world remarks dryly, “I think I’m going to learn a lot of things. Veiranoei, stay close to me. Hekate, make sure to lead your targets if they’re moving fast. The rest of you, please remember the forest is a precious resource.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Everyone confirms, and they ready themselves for a battle against numbers, which is what Daniel was trying to avoid.
<span style="font-weight:400">What he hopes to figure out is how they noticed, since Neith managed to stop the kamaitaizen benki -now dubbed kamaitachi for Daniel’s sake- from making a sound.
<span style="font-weight:400">Of course, Daniel has to remember that he’s in a world of magic, and as such, many things could have simpler exnations than he might think.
<span style="font-weight:400">***