Chapter 186: Mysterious Egg

Mysterious Egg

* * *

“…………Mm……”

Giovanno perceived his surroundings starting to brighten slightly and woke up.

Morning had come.

“Hngh…………”

He turned over with a roll.

A grassy scent from the grass he had laid out as his bed reached his nose.

Looking closely, small black bugs squirmed through the gaps in the grass, but he was long past the stage of being startled and jumping up at such things.

It had been about a month since he started living in this Zamago Forest.

Giovanno felt he had become quite tough, both physically and mentally.

“Now then, time to get up……”

Wriggling around, Giovanno crawled out of his bed.

His bed was a depression dug into the hill of the base Emi had cleared.

Logs and leaves were laid over the depression, forming a makeshift roof, but he would still get drenched if it rained.

So in those cases, instead of using the bed, he would take shelter from the rain under the giant trees left standing in the center of the base.

“Myogomyogoshugo! Myogomyogoshugo!”

Even though it was still early morning, the myogomyogoshugo were already singing.

The temperature was high and humid.

It was summer.

“…………”

Now then, when Giovanno casually glanced to the side, he saw the figure of a girl standing on a large tree trunk laid horizontally at the edge of the base, which was supposed to be a wall, crossing her arms and glaring outside the base.

That girl with her black hair glistening in the morning sun was, of course, Emi.

The other resident living in this base.

“Good morning……what’s the matter?”

As Giovanno approached while rotating his shoulders, Emi glanced at him, moved her chin, and gestured for him to climb up on the wall.

Prompted as such, Giovanno placed his foot on the platform and climbed up the wall……he spotted a certain object outside the base and was greatly perplexed.

“What is……that?”

“……You don’t know either, old man?”

“Hmm……I’ve never even heard of such a thing. Have you seen it before?”

“No.”

The object in the direction of their gaze was……an egg-like object the size of a person’s height, with a color like brown soil.

* * *

What in the world……is that, Extra-sama?

Emi and Extra-sama were puzzled by the egg-shaped object that had suddenly appeared at the border between the forest and the base……outside the base’s wall.

No, Extra-sama, you don’t have to be so apologetic.

If it’s an egg, in the end we can just crack it open and eat it.

But the problem is……

That’s right.

I usually sleep on top of the giant trees left in the center of the base while continuously emanating a weak 【Intimidation】 around me.

It’s to keep monsters away from the base.

They are sensitive to the presence of opponents they can’t beat, so my 【Intimidation】 also serves as a simple barrier.

The old man……was looking sick from the influence of 【Intimidation】 at first, but he seems to be quite thick-skinned and has gotten used to it.

I sleep on top of the giant trees because I thought 【Intimidation】 might reach farther around if I’m in a high place.

Now then.

That being the case, ordinary monsters shouldn’t approach the surroundings of this base……they shouldn’t.

Except when we’re hunting using the old man as bait.

And yet……

Is it an extremely dull creature, or a creature so strong that it doesn’t even consider my 【Intimidation】 a threat……?

Yes, that’s right.

Even so, that egg was probably laid last night, but I didn’t notice the approach of that creature at all.

I have 【Mana Sensing Threads】 strung along the top of the wall, so I can instantly perceive any creature trying to enter the base.

This time it happened outside the wall, so detection with 【Mana Sensing Threads】 might have been impossible, but if such a gigantic creature that could lay that egg had approached, I think I would have definitely noticed.

But I didn’t notice.

The egg was laid without me noticing.

……That creature……could it be a really dangerous one?

“Good morning……what’s the matter?”

Ah, the old man woke up.

Good morning!

That’s true, let’s ask him.

For now, I instruct the old man to climb up the wall.

The old man climbs the wall as prompted, finds the egg……and becomes puzzled just like us.

“What is……that?”

“……You don’t know either, old man?”

“Hmm……I’ve never even heard of such a thing. Have you seen it before?”

“No.”

Hmm, Extra-sama’s evaluation of the old man is a bit too harsh!

Well anyway, if even the old man doesn’t know, there’s nothing we can do.

Putting aside the difficult stuff, for now let’s crack that egg open and have what’s inside!

With that intention, I put strength into my legs to jump down outside the wall.

……But that was when it happened!

Extra-sama noticed the abnormality and issued a warning!

“…………!!”

I also stopped jumping down and stared at the egg.

And indeed, it was true.

The giant egg……was trembling!

Something inside the egg……was struggling to get out!

“Emi! I-It’s hatching!?”

The old man also noticed and shouted while half-hiding his body behind the wall.

I know.

I know that!

I took a combat stance with both hands in front, ready to fight.

I released magic power from my feet and used 【Solidify】 on the wall as my foothold.

I prepared to be able to step in and leap out at any time.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Finally, not just trembling, but sounds of something tapping the shell from the inside started coming from the egg.

At the same time, cracks began spreading on the surface of the shell with cracking noises.

And then, a few dozen seconds after the egg started shaking!

Finally!

With a Paan! sound, a part of the eggshell blew off!

And from inside……!!

“FOOOOOH~~~~~~~!! WHAT A REFRESHING!! MORNING~~~~~~~!!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Shouting such things, a half-naked old man vigorously leapt out!!

“””

Emi, the old man, and Extra-sama were at a loss for words at the unexpected development.

“Feels good! Feels good! The air tastes really great!! Fwaaaa~~~hahahaha~~~……huh?”

The half-naked old man who had leapt out was energetically moving his body, doing what seemed to be morning exercises, but he noticed the presence of the two and abruptly stopped moving.

“……Pardon me for a moment!!”

And saying that, he jumped back into the egg, making rustling noises.

When he appeared before the two again, the old man was fully dressed, transformed into an adventurer-like appearance.

“Well, well!! My apologies for that!! I arrived here last night, you see!! It was the middle of the night, you see!! I never imagined the place I made this shelter would be the edge of a village where people live!!”

Saying that, the old man lightly hopped up onto the wall with an agility that belied his age and held out a piece of paper to them.

It was a business card.

“My name is Earthcell! I have been appointed as the ‘New Branch Establishment Official’ at the Adventurer’s Guild!! Pleased to make your acquaintance~~!!”

Saying that, the old man bowed his head to them.

“”…………””

Overwhelmed by his high tension, Emi and Giovanno’s old man unconsciously looked at each other.

Then they looked again at the old man who called himself Earthcell.

Despite his small stature, the old man had a toned physique and a rich mustache, giving him the appearance of a sage.

His tension was……a bit off, but the presence emanating from him was unmistakably that of a powerful individual.

This old man seemed to be operating solo within the unexplored region, so he was definitely strong.

However.

But.

That wasn’t the issue.

The point Emi and the old man couldn’t help but be concerned about.

This old man, from the time he leapt out half-naked earlier to now when he reappeared fully dressed.

The whole time.

On his head.

He had……women’s underwear on his head.

This person who suddenly appeared at their base.

He seemed to be affiliated with the Adventurer’s Guild, holding a position called the “New Branch Establishment Official.”

But before that.

There was no doubt he was a perverted old man.

A new character has arrived at Emi and the old man’s base.

Next time, Earthcell’s past arc.