「Then, shall we head to the town of Mars?」
「Yeah」
We left the Sefuti Home and went down the mountain with Ladarion clearing the path just like yesterday.
「Takato, should I get rid of them?」
「Only the ones within reach. I want to arrive in the town of Mars by around ten」
It was not that far, but we had been close to the summit. Going down alone took an hour. Then another hour on foot. If nothing happened, we would arrive around ten, take a short break, and then head to the Adventurer Guild branch. It should not be a busy time.
「Got it」
I aimed the APC9 at the source of the smell and pulled the trigger.
A nine-millimeter round became Ladarion-sized and surpassed an anti-materiel rifle in power, and even with a suppressor the sound was intense. If I did not watch the direction, an ejected casing could kill me. I should stand farther away.
I moved about fifty meters back and hid behind a tree whenever Ladarion fired.
「So, this is what they call a back shot?」
Afraid of our own empty casings, we somehow made it safely down the mountain.
Phew. It only took about forty minutes yet it felt like I had worked through the whole morning.
I had Ladarion shrink down and we decided to take an early break.
「How is the APC9? Easy to use?」
「It feels a little lacking. El is probably better」
El meant the SCAR-L.
「Isn’t it too big to handle?」
She had grown after being able to eat properly and graduated from her dwarf-like physique. Inside the Sefuti Home she measured one hundred fifty centimeters tall. Even so, I still thought the SCAR-L was big for her.
「I like it because it is powerful」
If Ladarion liked it, that was fine. Although in town a submachine gun was better, so we would stick with this setup.
By the way, I was equipped with a P90. I had bought other nine-millimeter submachine guns, but I had not finished loading the magazines in time. So, I handed the APC9 to Ladarion and used the familiar P90 myself.
「We have used these a lot. Maybe it is time to get new ones」
We had three P90s and used them in rotation, but the one I carried today had already fired at least two thousand rounds. I should replace it before it malfunctioned.
The P90 was the weapon I knew best. I would keep rotating all three from now on.
Just as we were about to head out, Ladarion suddenly stood up and pointed the APC9 toward the sky. Wh-what?
A few seconds later I raised my P90 toward the sky as well, speechless.
…A mantis…?
No, calling it a mantis was not quite right. Its shape was about seventy percent mantis. So, I decided to call it a mantis anyway.
The brown mantis flew through the sky without noticing us and continued toward the town of Mars.
「Ladarion! We are changing equipment!」
I said that and returned to the Sefuti Home.
I did not know its exact size, but I doubted a P90 or APC9 could handle it. A battle rifle like the SCAR-H was probably the minimum.
「Ladarion, take the MINIMI. Stay a bit behind and support me. If it becomes dangerous, switch back to your original form」
I grabbed the SCAR-H sniper and stepped outside.
「Are we going to fight?」
「I want to avoid fighting, but judging from the situation we probably will. You can smell that mantis, right?」
「I think that was a Rosquito」
「Rosquito?」
Are you sure it’s not mosquito?
「A carnivorous insect. When it gets hot, we often get cut by those」
Just rename it to Mosquito already. A summer insect.
「Does it move in groups?」
「No, it is usually alone」
That was good news. If it moved in swarms, I would have turned around and run.
「Stay alert and keep moving」
I raised my H sniper. I took the lead while Ladarion followed about fifty meters behind.
We walked roughly a kilometer toward the direction the Rosquito had flown, and found a cow-sized sheep in a state that would have needed mosaic censorship.
It was carnivorous, but the way it hunted and ate was brutal. Maybe it only ate certain parts.
When I searched the area, I found it about two hundred meters ahead. It was attacking another sheep.
I unfolded the bipod of the H sniper, set it on the ground, lay down, and adjusted the scope’s focus.
I only had movie-level imitation experience, but the target was huge and its back was conveniently facing me. I was not aiming for a headshot. If I aimed at the center of its body, I would probably hit it.
I loaded a round, aimed at the center, and pulled the trigger.
「Good, I hit it!」
The shot landed a little high and to the right, but the 7.62-millimeter round clearly caused the Rosquito pain.
I pulled the trigger again and hit it as it staggered.
「It still moves」
Even goblins rarely died instantly. With that size, its vitality had to be extreme.
As it spread its wings to flee, I fired once more. The shot hit the base of the wings and made it stagger again.
I emptied the machine gun’s rounds, yet the Rosquito was still thrashing. How much vitality did this thing have?
I summoned a new magazine from my apport pouch, swapped it, signaled Ladarion in the rear, and headed toward the Rosquito.
We approached to fifty meters. From there I switched to my P90 and unloaded a full magazine. Only then did it finally die.
「What a stubborn creature」
Using twenty rounds of 7.62 and fifty rounds of 5.7 just to bring one down… If they had brought me here to exterminate creatures like this, I would not have survived a day.
I replaced the P90 magazine and approached to ten meters with my weapon raised.
「Ladarion, stay alert. It might be playing dead」
「Okay」
Keeping my weapon trained on the Rosquito, I circled toward its head and found what looked like a human child collapsed there.
…Was this a shepherd?
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