Chapter 196: When it Pours the Ground Grows Firmer (2/2)
Iyo! Hey!” [Fishermen Leader]
‘Hey!’ [Fishermen]
The fishermen did their weird sound thing again as they pulled on the ropes and steadily stepped back.
The battle between the mud salamanders and the fishermen began by the boats in the offing. I could see from the corner of my sight that the nets were now being raised. It’s only a matter of time now before they get here.
I calm down my racing heart and wait a few minutes.
When the first haul of the day was brought to the processing plant, the first mud salamander finally reached the shore.
“They’re here!” [Kei]
“Okay! Please take care of them if they manage to break through the encirclement!” [Ryouma]
Kei-san was positioned at the very edge of our area of responsibility.
The mud salamander ran straight for the fishermen carrying the haul of fish, but…
“—!?” [Mud Salamander]
The mud salamander that had made shore and ran suddenly squirmed.
I can’t hear it screaming, but from the way it’s writhing about, it’s clear that it’s in pain.
“Looks like the plan is a success.” [Ryouma]
The first layer of our defense, the ‘obstruction of the mud salamanders’ through the iron slimes and the metal slimes.
Here in the beach, the metal and iron slimes have a problem in that they ‘can’t move as they please’. But when it comes down to it, all that really means for them is that they need a role where they ‘don’t need to move’.
As such, I had the iron slimes and metal slimes thin their body and had them hide in the sand like rays or flounders. Whenever a mud salamander steps on them, they will then change a part of their body into a harpoon, gutting the critter.
The good result brought by their efforts is none other than the writhing mud salamander before our eyes.
The mud salamander had stepped on a blade that shouldn’t have been there before. Because of that its body was deeply penetrated and it writhed about uncontrollably. But the slime that stabbed it didn’t just stop there. It continued to push its metal body into the mud salamander and wrapped itself around it, turning its own body into a kind of weight to impede the movement of the mud salamander.
The mud salamander that had taken the charge ahead of its brethren couldn’t even reach the spears of the poison slimes.
10 more mud salamander came from behind, but they all reached a similar fate, as the metal and iron limes caught them and they tumbled along the sand.
“I kind of feel bad for them when I see them like that.” [Adventurer Leader]
Oh? The leader of the adventurers came.
“Good work out there.” [Ryouma]
“I came to check how you’re doing, but it looks like you’re doing just fine.” [Adventurer Leader]
“For now. The mud salamanders that have been caught will gradually run out of stamina. When more mud salamanders come and they are crushed underfoot, some of them will finally be greatly weakened.” [Ryouma]
“If they are able to get past that, then we’ll continue as planned, and if there’s too many, you’ll reduce their numbers with an area-of-effect dark magic, right?” [Adventurer Leader]
“That’s right.” [Ryouma]
“…” [Adventurer Leader]
Is there a problem?
“Is there something bothering you?” [Ryouma]
“Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking that if this plan goes well, we can reduce the number of adventurers here even further.” [Adventurer Leader]
This village isn’t the only one being attacked by the mud salamanders, so if there’s people to spare, then it would be better to allocate them somewhere else instead. That’s basically what the leader is saying.
“Of course, that’s only if we have people to spare. Regardless of how the other areas are doing, we’d be messing up our priorities if we prioritized those over what was entrusted to us.” [Adventurer Leader]
“That makes sense.” [Ryouma]
No matter what job it is, there is always a certain level of responsibility that comes with it.
I too want my slimes to do their best for the sake of my training.
“Well, in any case, everything will depend on today’s results. Do show me that the slimes can be used.” [Adventurer Leader]
“You can count on it.” [Ryouma]
As the hauls for the day were carried to the processing plant, the number of mud salamanders attacking grew.
As I saw the leader of the adventurers off, I renewed my resolve.