Chapter 499: The Giant Yumushi and the Three Women 2

The Giant Yumushi and the Three Women 2

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“Yugyaaa…”

The Grand Armored Yumushi, that unleashed a literal downpour of rocks and debris.

Apparently, even for him, with his giant body and vast mana, that attack method was a little too much of a burden.

He was languidly relaxing his cylindrical body, slowly absorbing mana from the magic ore scattered around, trying to recover.

“Raaaaah!!”

And then there was someone ruthlessly kicking his giant body without restraint.

It’s Emi.

Although her stomach is growling more frequently, there’s no sign of fatigue in her movements.

She’s ruthlessly kicking, kicking, kicking the body of the Grand Armored Yumushi, who is currently in cooldown.

“Yugyaaa…”

But even after being subjected to such relentless attacks, the giant, land-dwelling earthworm showed no sign of resisting.

Unlike the attacks of the other two, Emi’s attacks are definitely damaging him, but even that damage seems to be within his tolerance.

So even though he’s currently being kicked around without resisting, he prioritized mana recovery, only occasionally wriggling uncomfortably, without actively counterattacking.

“What should we do…”

…Saint Ad, watching that, muttered, with a cigarette in her mouth.

This cigarette is actually not for pure enjoyment, but a drug that promotes mana recovery.

It’s addictive, and if you smoke too much, it can cause mana poisoning, so it needs to be handled with care…

But Saint Ad, not even paying attention to that risk, puffed away, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she pondered what to do next.

“That Yumushi… its defense is too high.”

That’s the main reason why she’s troubled.

Whoever she is… that jet-black girl, she has terrifying attack power.

And yet, even with her punching and kicking, she hasn’t been able to inflict any fatal damage on that Yumushi.

Both Saint Ad and Shimegamamo are definitely weaker than that girl in terms of attack power.

So, no matter what they do, they won’t be able to hurt the giant Yumushi, will they?

“Fuuu…”

Saint Ad exhaled a large puff of smoke instead of sighing.

…And it was at that moment!

“Let me provide some information.”

Suddenly, the ground near Saint Ad’s feet bulged, a hole opened up, and then… Kalamaruyu’s upper body emerged!

“…Could you please not appear in such an eccentric way?”

Saint Ad, stopping the 【Barrier・Small Mallet】 that was about to crush Kalamaruyu’s head just in time, criticized him in a thorny tone.

Shimegamamo also silently returned her cleaver to her waist.

“S-Sorry, I had the triplets dig a tunnel… Anyway, there’s something I want to tell you about the ecology of Armored Yumushi. Please listen.”

“Please make it quick.”

Saint Ad, after glancing at the Grand Armored Yumushi, who was still not moving, prompted Kalamaruyu to continue.

Shimegamamo stood there, her back to the two, glaring at the Yumushi.

“They… can utilize the properties of the magic ore they’re wearing.”

“!!”

And Saint Ad gasped, hearing that information.

“…That huge thing… is covered in Kodorokizo ore, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. And Kodorokizo ore is a raw material for the Barrier Stones created by the Great Mage, the Headmaster. In other words…”

“It’s protected… by a barrier…!?”

Saint Ad narrowed her eyes, staring at the Grand Armored Yumushi.

That giant Yumushi isn’t deploying a barrier in any visible way.

But there are various ways to do it.

For example, creating a barrier between the ore and its body… between the layer of Kodorokizo ore and its outer skin.

That’s how it’s been blocking their attacks.

“That’s incredibly troublesome.”

“Yes. To defeat it, we’ll have to remove all the Kodorokizo ore it’s wearing.”

“But it’ll just regenerate, no matter how much we remove.”

“Yes, I saw that. So, that’s impossible. Therefore…”

Kalamaruyu paused, biting his lip in frustration, and then—

“We retreat.”

He said that, clearly.

“Retreat…”

Saint Ad, closing her eyes, exhaling a thin plume of smoke, pondered.

She thought of those words before, but she didn’t suggest them, because she doesn’t know what will happen if they do.

If they don’t do something about that giant Yumushi, Kalamaruyu’s plan to mine Kodorokizo ore won’t progress.

And that monster… if they leave it alone, there’s no guarantee that it won’t eventually harm First Town.

If that happens, the people would have to abandon the town.

And Kalamaruyu would be branded with the stigma of an incompetent viscount, who couldn’t protect his territory and his people.

Even if it was caused by an unstoppable factor—a monster of extraordinary size.

Kalamaruyu is a smart man.

He probably understands that.

And yet, he said the word ‘retreat’.

Because, after all…

He values lives… more than his pride or reputation as a noble.

“Yes, brother-in-law, intruder. You should leave here immediately.”

The first one to agree to Kalamaruyu’s suggestion was Shimegamamo, who had been standing with her back to them.

“…What do you mean by ‘you’? What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to fight. It’s ravaging the grassland. I have to exterminate it, according to my clan’s rules.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’ll die.”

“It makes no difference if I live or die. I’ve already broken the rules, so I’m going to be rebuked by the ancestral spirits. Then, at least, I’ll die fighting, as a warrior, like my husband.”

Shimegamamo is stubborn.

No matter what Kalamaruyu says, she won’t change her mind.

“‘Like my husband’… huh?”

Kalamaruyu stared at Shimegamamo’s back.

Again, he’s a smart man.

Seeing how things have unfolded, he now understands the truth that he wasn’t told.

“So… my brother… was killed… by that Yumushi…”

To Kalamaruyu’s words, squeezed out—

“…Yes. Wakiteryu was already my husband, so he followed the clan’s rules… Only I… was left behind…”

Shimegamamo replied, in a quiet voice.

Her muscular shoulders were trembling.

“…………”

Kalamaruyu, looking down, shook his head silently.

Why didn’t his father, or this woman before him, tell him the details… He’s filled with resentment, which is pointless now.

His father was the type who kept everything to himself.

If the people found out that a giant monster appeared in the grassland, it would cause unrest.

Disliking that, he probably decided to keep the truth only to himself.

He probably intended to tell only Kalamaruyu, but he fell ill before he could.

As for Shimegamamo, since her code of conduct is her clan’s rules, it’s pointless to think about it.

But… she had no intention of letting anyone, except for herself, go beyond this point.

So perhaps she didn’t even feel the need to explain the situation.

Ah, everyone is…!

Kalamaruyu cursed in his mind.

But even so—

“…Let’s run away, sister-in-law.”

To be honest, he doesn’t want anyone to die.

Shimegamamo reacted to those words, her shoulders shaking violently.

But she’s still stubborn.

She doesn’t turn around, and she doesn’t agree.

“We can’t defeat it.”

She doesn’t agree.

“We can’t defeat it unless we remove all the Kodorokizo ore on its surface. That’s impossible.”

She doesn’t agree.

“Let’s run away.”

She doesn’t agree.

“““…………”””

A heavy silence enveloped them.

But that silence—

“Ah, so we just have to remove all that purple stone?”

Was broken by the sudden voice of a girl.

Everyone turned towards the voice at once, and there she was—the black-haired, black-eyed girl, who had been ineffectively hitting the Grand Armored Yumushi.

Perhaps tired of its lack of response, she had stopped attacking the giant earthworm, and had returned to them before they knew it.

“A-Ah… But that’s…”

Who even is this girl anyway?

Pushing that question to the back of his mind, Kalamaruyu tried to speak.

“I can do it.”

But the girl—

Emi Rune, the traveler—

“I can do it.”

She declared, firmly, powerfully!

“Because I—”

And then, she revealed the basis for her claim!

“Used to be an apprentice maid!”

“““…………Haa?”””

Well, they all tilted their heads at that.