I scattered processed meat over a wide area, then started a fire and tossed pieces in to spread the scent.
「It’s just leftover scraps from cut parts, and it still smells this good」
I didn’t have an appetite, but suddenly I felt hungry. I called out a cold hamburger, ate half, and threw the rest. I’m not wasting food, so don’t blame me.
The appetite came back, but after eating six burgers, even if only half of each, my stomach started to feel heavy. Maybe I’m just getting older. Back when I was twenty, I could easily eat five whole ones.
「Hm? Did they catch the scent? Their noses are seriously sharp」
I still want to set more traps, but I’ll call it good since they’ve taken the bait.
「Bisha! That’s enough! Get to the swamp!」
Careful not to trip over the wires I had set, I headed to the swamp and entered Home, then brought out the fifty-thousand-yen rubber boat I bought earlier.
「We’re heading out onto the swamp」
「There might be something in there」
Ah, I didn’t think of that. Then let’s toss in a few grenades. There.
A column of water shot up, and as I watched, something emerged. It looked like a giant salamander. Huge. Gross. Disgusting.
「It’s a Mishondo. They live in swamps and drag animals that come to drink water into the water to eat them」
Seriously!? Swamps in another world are terrifying. From now on, I’m throwing grenades into any swamp I see.
「Bisha. Put the heat sword into the swamp. Set it to about five hundred degrees」
There might be more in there. Just to be safe, we’ll boil them out.
「Got it」
She drew the heat sword, set it to around five hundred degrees, and thrust the blade into the swamp.
The swamp began to bubble, and small salamander-like creatures started pouring out and disappeared into the forest. How many of them are there!?
「Tch. They’re already here」
We floated the rubber boat on the swamp, loaded our gear, and rowed out.
「It’s hot」
Well, it’s practically boiling and steaming, so it can’t be helped. And the smell… I’ll put on a gas mask.
I controlled the steam with water magic and hid the rubber boat.
I practiced this in the bath. Now I can at least create a thin membrane of water.
The goblins’ cries grew closer and closer, and their presence spread throughout the area.
「That’s a huge number. There must be over five hundred gathered」
「Will the goblins come into the swamp?」
「No, I don’t think they’ll enter the water. I doubt they can swim」
I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think they have the nerve to enter a swamp that likely has giant salamanders. Well, if they do, I’ll boil them alive. Still, it’s seriously hot.
When they reached the area where I had scattered the processed meat, the booby traps were triggered. The explosions of grenades and the blasts of tear gas rounds echoed together.
Since we’re upwind, the tear gas won’t drift toward us, but it also won’t linger. If we don’t keep firing, it loses its effect.
「Bisha, let’s go」
「Got it!」
I fired tear gas rounds into the goblin horde using the grenade launcher attached to my VHS-2, while Bisha used the M79.
All forty rounds were gone in no time, and the goblins’ screams of agony echoed from all directions.
「Once the tear gas clears, we’ll finish them off, but don’t overdo it. We don’t have time」
The goal is to keep them from heading to the fort. If they turn into zombies, we’ll deal with it then.
「Then shooting them is faster」
「Yeah. It sounds like a lot of them are already writhing」
We waited for the swamp to cool, and once the tear gas dissipated, we brought the rubber boat to the shore. We’ll deal with cleanup later.
「It’s dangerous to split up, so we’ll finish them together」
「Okay」
Switching to single-shot, we finished off the screaming goblins one by one.
Our magazines ran out quickly, and we kept calling for more and continuing the execution. At this rate, I should have gone with the P90. It holds fifty rounds per magazine.
「…Takato, I’m tired…」
「…Me too…」
Even though it’s just the simple job of shooting down goblins screaming in agony, it’s more exhausting than a chaotic melee…
「It’s already noon. Let’s take a break」
There are still plenty of goblins left, but the two of us have killed over five hundred. That should be enough to thin their numbers.
We returned to the swamp, I asked Bisha to keep watch, and entered Home with the rubber boat. Miriel was there.
Ah, it’s noon on that side too.
「How is it over there?」
Still angry? I asked cautiously.
「We’ve reached a point where we can hear gunfire」
Miriel approached with a bright smile, closing the distance quickly. That’s scary. I’d feel more at ease if she were still angry…
「I won’t tell you not to be reckless or push yourself anymore. I will do even more than you」
Huh? What? What does that mean?
As I stood there confused, she placed her hands on my cheeks and cast a healing spell.
「We’ll catch up by night or morning」
With that, she loaded food onto a handcart and left Home.
I stood there stunned for a moment, but there was no time to waste. I took a box of cake from the refrigerator and went back outside.
「Bisha. We rest until three in the afternoon. Eat, then take a nap. We’re going to push into the fort」
「Did Miriel and the others arrive?」
「Yeah. They’ve come close enough to hear gunfire」
When I told her Miriel had come, she let out a sigh for some reason. Why?
「You really are dense, Takato」
「I’m actually very perceptive」
I can read the room and be considerate. Not that it’s ever made me popular, though.
「Sigh… this is serious」
She sighed again. Why!?
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