9-9. Fisherman's Profit
Satou's here. During the midsummer day of the ox, it's nice to be able to eat something that you don't usually eat like kabayaki, or winter solstice pumpkin, isn't it. Although, there are arguments from both side when it's about valentine day...
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The thing that appears in the forest sky is a wyvern.
Its aim is not us, but the horn snake, as it's swooping down on the defenseless body of the horn snake while completely ignoring us.
The horn snake which was obstinately attacking Nana seems to notice it too, it stops its attack and turns its sickle neck towards the wyvern.
"Liza, leave this to me."
"Yes! Pochi, Tama, take some distance. Arisa, Mia! Use attack magic while the horn snake stops moving."
I strike the wyvern from the side with the short stun that I haven't used for a long time.
It didn't seem to think that we would attack it, the magic hit it directly and it crashed to the forest, mowing down several trees along the way.
The wing span of this wyvern is about 10 meters long. Rather than a dragon, it looks more like a Pteranodon. It's really like a fantasy wyvern to have poison on its tail.
The horn snake gets half of its body cut by Arisa's [<>], and its blood grandly scatters. Mia attacked the horn snake with [Water Blade] slightly later, but it seemed that the snake had resisted it as the water dispersed when it hit the body surface.
The horn snake, which didn't expect to suffer great damages, began to try to escape.
Of course Liza and the others won't allow it.
"Nana, we can't let the horn snake runs away."
"Understood. You snake, the preparation for making kabayaki is complete!"
Thanks to Nana's questionable provocation, and the barrier that Arisa had put on its retreat path, the horn snake had stopped trying to escape. Liza's magic spear, and Pochi's and Tama's short swords alternately attack the wound that Arisa has opened.
And then, when the snake movements has become dulled due to the blood loss, Nana pierces through its mouth with the [Sharp Edge]-strengthened sword, and it stops moving.
"Ey ey." "Ou nanodesu."
Pochi and Tama are having victory cry on top of the horn snake, but it's still too early.
"Pochi, Tama, you must not relax your guard. Nana, use the reinforcement magic again. Arisa, Mia, do you still have enough mana?"
Liza gives instructions, and the preparation for the next battle begins.
She's quite reliable.
Since Nana, who's in charge of the front line, is slightly hurt, I heal her with [Water Heal].
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Slightly later after that, a kaiju-like roar comes out from the deep of the forest. Apparently, the wyvern has finally awoken. I was cautious as to whether it could use magic by roaring like demons, but it seemed to be just a normal cry.
The advantage of wyverns is their flight ability.
Thus I thought that it would go out to the lake shore to accelerate in order to fly, but---
"Wait, that's a wyvern right?"
"Monkey~?"
"It's bouncing around nodesu."
The wyvern ran up two trees by kicking them alternately, and flew to the sky like that. Seemed that it properly used its talons to gain speed while running on the trees.
I pass some crossbows to Pochi, Tama and Lulu. They're originally anti-wyvern tools. Let's put them to use.
The wyvern is circling in the sky to amass speed, then it lower its altitude and comes attacking from the other side of the lake. It's not breaking through to the center, but looks like it's gliding while grazing the lake surface.
"Mia, strike the wyvern with [Balloon] when it reaches that bush over there. The three of you attack the wing--yes, aim at the right wing. Arisa, use the cutting magic from before on its wing. I don't mind if you cut it whole if you can."
Liza has given instructions to everyone.
Previously, it was Arisa who instructed them, but since she couldn't do it while concentrating on magic, Liza took her place.
I also set up [Magic Hand] and [<>].
Usually I won't interfere, but since this wyvern is level 33, and the snake earlier is level 24, I'm ready to support them anytime.
When the wyvern was nearing the bush, water vapor that suddenly erupted broke its posture. The timing was a bit late, so it didn't seem like its posture got completely broken.
"Mwuu."
I pat and gently brush the head of Mia who's slightly pouting.
Following her, Arisa's [<>] hit the wyvern, it only scratched its shoulder, either because her level was too low, or because it was resisted.
The bolts that Pochi and Tama have fired at the same time only shallowly injure the tip of the wyvern's nose. Lulu's bolt seems to have flown toward the day after tomorrow. It's hard to hit a flying object even if it's flying straight to you after all.
Looking at this, I guess the opponent is a bit too much?
Nana blocks the wyvern attack with the [Shield] that she's put in front of her, and her own big shield. The wyvern is probably accustomed to combat as it's not using head-butt, but its talons to attack from the side. Since Nana's health gauge is rapidly decreasing, I quickly put the flexible shield between them. Mia has begun chanting to heal Nana, so I entrust it to her.
The wyvern kicks Nana once again and then goes back to the sky. Liza's thrust seems to have grazed its foot, but it doesn't seem to give much damage. I use ground shrink to catch Nana who was hurled away. There's not enough softness. Damn you armor.
Mia has joined the wyvern pursuit, so I heal Nana with my magic.
The bolts from the crossbows, and the attack magic successfully hit the wyvern by aiming for when it's slowing down while trying to go back to the sky. Lulu's bolt seemed to have hit it too. She's taking a triumphant pose beside me, so I congratulate her.
However, the wyvern only suffers some small injury, it's not enough to defeat it.
Seems that it has recognized us as formidable foes, it begins to aim for weaker individual. It's coming for Arisa while not slowing down, trying to catch her with the talons on its hind legs. Nana provokes it, but its aim is unmoving.
As expected, I can't call this a training if a victim falls. I move in front of Arisa with ground shrink and kick the wyvern.
Since it was going to escape over head, I quickly grabbed its tail and slapped it to the lakeside.
They should have enough anti-air training already, so I quickly approach, and cut the wyvern's neck with [Magick Sword].
The magick swords looks just like the shield and protection magic from nature magic, transparent like glasses. I can freely change the blade from the size of a dagger to a two-meters long great sword. It can become extremely sharp, but in exchange it will become thin and brittle, so it's hard to use it without sword skill.
Since I was troubled during the whales extermination back then, I've improved the latter magick sword version that I've ordered to be able to produce 20 meters long blade. Since the blade's strength and the likes are impossible, I don't know just how practical it is.
Arisa and Lulu have leveled up from this battle. Lulu doesn't seem like she's gained new skills. I've let her read magic books recently, but I wonder if her training isn't enough. It's unfortunate.
"It's just one point, just one point more~~~"
I ask Arisa who's stamping the ground what happens, seems like she's short of one point to raise the space magic skill level.
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The grilled wyvern is too bitter, so it's lacking, but the kabayaki from the horn snake is superb. It might be nice if I served it on rice boxes like Arisa had requested. I've made tofu hamburg steak for Mia's dinner. With faces full of conflicts, Pochi and Tama compare Mia's hamburg steak with the kabayaki, but they lose to the charm of meat and eat the kabayaki and the grilled wyvern in frustration somewhat.
Since the wyvern's innards contain poison, I buried them in a hole.
And then, we wash our sweat on the open air bath I've made on the lake shore after dinner.
Open air bath under the sky that's full of stars is nice after all.
Arisa who has just got out of the bath, Pochi and Tama are gathered, they drink the fruit milks that have been cooled with ice. I don't think it's good for a girl to drink it in one gulp while putting her hand on her waist, but I leave her alone, since she's properly wrapping the bath towel on her body.
"Fuuh, after some delicious meal, taking an open air bath on the lake side along with the reflection of the starry sky! On top of that, there's even the cold fruit milk, the rest has been decided, right!"
Arisa turns her head to me who's drying Mia's hair.
Please stop that guhehe laugh. I feel the danger to my body. I'll gladly welcome it after 10 years though.
"Hoi, Mia. It's over."
"Nn."
I think it's faster if I just use [Dry] of the life magic, but since Mia shows dislike while shaking her head, I still use a towel even now.
Arisa, whose mood has worsen since ignored, leans her body on my back while rambling like a drunkard, so I lift and throw her to the bed.
I plan to take the airship on the mountain range course that's away from the mass of wyverns on the summit of a mountain. I intend to take a look at it once, since I'm worried with the air current near the summit.
If anything unreasonable happens to the airship, I will fold the blimp and use [Magic Hand] to carry the airship.
While thinking about Bornean forest on the other side of the mountain range, I set off from the campground alone.