Chapter 32: He who fights and runs may live to fight another day

Approx. 8min reading time

Weeds and flowers growing along the river side a buried underfoot .

The popobumu’s heavy footsteps firmly step on the flowering plants making a footprint .

The wind and weather is good .

A refreshing wind is wrapping around us .

Approaching a small hill near the river, the view spreads out more .

A branch of the Haym river .

I am able to confirm to confirm the area around and see stones of various scattered around and covered in moss that have gathered together to form the steam .

-N?

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As I enjoy the scenery I detect a magic essence .

There are multiple magic essence signs…and they are coming from the river .

Because I detected magic essence coming I back away from the Haym river cautiously;

Coming down from her favorite place on the back of the popobumu’s head Rollo changes into her panther form to be safe .

It feels like they’re jump out at any time .

I can hear bubbling sounds coming from the river .

The sound becomes larger .

Cautiously, the source of the sound appears .

It is a large crab .

With bubbles foaming out of its mouth it rises out of the river .

The source of the bubbling must be this…

At the ends of five pairs of crab legs are twin pincers .

It looks like it will hurt if I get hit by that .

Before long, one of the bubbles floats towards me .

Immediately it attacks . Because I move while getting on popobumu, the attack natural does not succeed .

There’s an evaporating sound in the place where the bubble lands .

A rotten sulfur smell drifts up .

Poison type? I don’t want to receive that bubble…

Only one of the big crabs is releasing bubbles and is approaching from the side .

A bit more…coming closer .

“Rollo, separate that crab from the river a little . ”

Rollo remains silent and wags her tail to say “Got it . ”

I watch the condition of the big crab as it walks away from the river .

Then Rollo attacks it stomach with her feeler bone sword .

When her attack lands there is a *busu* sound like soft leather being punctured .

From the hole a bit of fibrous white crab meat protrudes .

The big crab desperately resists as it tries to repel Rollo’s bone sword with its pincers but the bone sword penetrates its body multiple times .

The grab seems to be becoming angry, and furthermore, it is being drawn toward Rollo .

Haha, stupid crab .

I get down from the popobumu with a smile and move to flank the big crab .

I thrust out the black spear from the side while the big crab is being distracted by Rollo .

From a normal stab-<Thrust> .

It received my attack, but there is little response . I felt soft to the touch .

Going by the sensation I was able to stab the big crab’s body twice, but it is still able to move .

With bubbles gushing out of it mouth it twists around with its pincer hands .

Without bother to aim it tries swinging at me from the left and right, but because I am already outside of the range of the huge claws its attack fails .

Again Rollo’s feeler bone sword pierces the body of the giant crab .

The bubbling from is directed in Rollo’s direction but she simply jumps out of the way and they are only harmlessly scattered about .

The big crab tries to move sideways so that it chase Rollo with rustling motions .

This crab is tough; it is a good thing it is stupid .

Again, it is being drawn in by Rollo .

Now, should I aim for the mouth? I hold up my left hand . I eject <Chain> .

The chain cuts straight through the air . Through the bubbling mouth of the big crab it penetrates out the back of the crab’s shell .

The grab twitches and falls back .

I run there fiercely .

I jump a little – and swing down the spear length-wise .

All of the pincer are severed and a huge part of the head is cut into . A yellow past like fermented soybeans hangs down from the section .

Ooh, isn’t like miso mixed with crab meat .

The claws are filled with white flesh .

It looks tasty .

But, as I saw the poison spurting out I will leave it be…

While thinking about the poison Roll howls with a “Garururu . ”

She reveals the shining fangs in her mouth suddenly begins to tear into the leathery stomach of the giant crab .

Thus she begins to energetically consume the white crab meat .

“…O〜i, is it tasty, Rollo?”

Hearing me Rollo turns around to face me in the form of a kittens and goes “Nya, nyaa . ”

“Well then, I too…”

Taking one of the giant claws in my hand I pull out some of the white meat from where I cut it . It’s not animal meat, exposing my teeth I take a bite .

Mumbling I chew and taste it . This white meat is yummyyyyy . It is crab meat . Okkasan, this is white meat is crab . (TL: Don’t know why he says mom here . ”

The tension goes up and even though it is strange this is proper soft crab sashimi . (TL: Sashimi means the meat, normally for sushi type dishes, is thinly slice . It has more to do with the presentation, I think, so this doesn’t make sense to me . )

It hasn’t been boiled, but honestly…it is really good… and there is a slight saltiness .

But because there is so much I won’t be able to finish it .

Chewing on the soft crisp meat, it is really tasty .

“It’s good, but I want soy sauce…I really wish I had soy sauce…but I’ll have to bear with it . ”

Holding onto the crab claw with both hand I am sure to eat all of its slim contents .

Rollo seems to be eating the yellowish gunk and her lips have turned yellow .

Because there is so much white meat I am full in no time .

It seems to be the same for Rollo, she stopped eating and is now repeating the action of washing her face .

“Will you eat this, popobumu? Will you eat some of the white meat?”

I return to the popobumu with some of the game and try to press some of the white meat against its mouth .

Then, with a big snort it stretches out its head and takes a big bite .

*Mogumogu* it eats all of the meat and its small green eyes look bright and pleased .

We who have finished eat the big crab we caught hang around for a little while like this before we begin to head south again .

We travel across the grassland and hills while keeping the Haym river in sight .

After eating the crab meat, the popobumu seems to have become spirited . I can hear it going “bubobubo”

The scenery changes from grass-covered plains to dirt fields .

I can see a “person” plowing the field, and some sparsely dotted houses are visible .

The first human being- A human . (TL: It only took about two years . )

They look like a farmer .

There are a few wooden hills too .

And old man seems to be keeping watch from there and is sitting down with a book as he looks over the scenery .

Do they work on days with fine weather and read on days with rainy weather?

This area seems like a quiet farm village .

I see children playing with wooden sticks to the side . A cow that looks like a lunga is pulling a millstone to grind flower .

There do not seem to be any monsters or bandits in the area .

After I pass the quiet farming village I appear on wide road with ruts from carriage wheels .

The dirt here is appropriate for a highway . As I travel down the highway on popobumu, I pass people and carts transporting farm products .

In the carriages I can see humans, elves, and beast people riding .

The coachman in this case is a human and the other two are a “tiger beastman” with tiger ears and a long eared elf, there is a lot of variety . I prompt the popobumu to hurry up .

I get a strong impression from the face of the tiger beastman .

He has long whiskers like a tiger and tawny hair that looks really bushy .

The human is wearing short sleeves and a hat, and to be honest, because he is driving the cart to scene is a bit odd .

With the head of a leopard or tiger, well I am reminded of a famous protagonist from a long novel .

I continue to travel down the highway as I watch people come and go .

I am able to increase the speed of the popobumu thanks to where the road goes .

The road follows alongside the Haym rive so it is just right

When I cross over a hill, the river spreads out and becomes shallow enough the cross .

When I cross the shallows I can see a part of a big town .

And as the clouds clear up and I can see a high tower come into view .

Amazing, such a tall tower .

With my hand up to shade my eyes from the bright sunlight I take a look at the tall tower . The tall tower seems to reach the heavens .

Is it one of the dungeons? Possibly a space elevator? It looks like the Tower of Babel, but…It is extremely tall .

Possibly, is it higher than the Maheim mountain range?

My eyes look over the tower and I remember, I cannot seem to find a castle wall .

Maybe it is not visible from here .

On the map this is marked down as the 【 Royal Capitol Fadyke】 of Terramay Kingdom .

When one reaches the tower are they at the center of the capitol? The number of buildings increases the closer one gets to it, and I can see pedestrian traffic is able to come and go freely .

As I look up at the tower I push the popobumu forward, when suddenly, I hear a hard metallic sound nearby . I hear a rough male voice .

There seems to be a fight somewhere .

I get a reaction from presence detection too .

However, because there is a lot of magic essence appropriate for people in the area it is hard to distinguish .

When I activate <Smell Secretion Technique Pheromone Touch>…I am over whelmed by the smell of blood .

It seems like this area could be dangerous .

A human with a drawn sword and a beast person with a bloody axe are walking .

The body of the beast person is quite large .

His whole body is covered in hairy armor .

I remember a character from a famous sci-fi movie .

As I pass by while observing their figures, sure enough, I can hear the voice a woman being attacked .

Should I help?

I hurry and make the popobumu face the direction of the sound .

However, everyone is gone, so it seems the victim was take somewhere .

I do not pursue too far . I just advance .

And in the evening, the traffic dwindles down to very little .

It is already night . I look for an inn…but there doesn’t seem to be one .

I walked around, but there doesn’t seem to be anything like an inn . Only private houses and abandoned buildings everywhere…

Trying to find one is hopeless .

There are traces of the ruins of a large estate . Crossing the threshold, I’m coming in .

The grounds of the ruins have a lot of weeds and trees growing in the back .

It was adjacent and connected to the highway .

I hide the popobumu under a tree and stop here .

I give it some feed . After feeding some jerky to the popobumu I pat the rough skin of its neck .

Then, I explore the mansion a little .

I go into the ruins with the black cat Rollo .

-There is no one .

Since there is no one here I contemplate staying the night here .

After exploring the mansion and finding an open space between some pillar I decide to make my bed there .

I spend the night calmly, leaning against a pillar and chewing jerk . (TL: He’s so cool . )

At midnight while I a sleeping lightly-there’s a reaction on presence detection, I detect more than one magic essence signature as well as footsteps .

“Rollo, shhh…”

I place a finger to my lips and gesture for Rollo to be quiet .

I check with my <Pheromone Touch> skill .

Multiple humans are approaching .

Rising quietly, I watch from the shadows .

Roll jumps to my shoulder . Listening to my instructions she waits quietly .

The members entering the mansion are hooded robes so I cannot see their faces .

Some round sources of light illuminate the mansion along with the people .

Is that light magic?

The people cloaked in hoods look around the room .

Fortunately, they don’t come to where I am hiding .

Those who have finished patrolling gather in the hall .