落とし穴６６堀：ぼくらの夏休み２ 昆虫王者の捜索開始 (Part1)
**Pitfall 66: Our Summer Vacation 2 - The Search for the Insect King Begins**
**Side: Taiki**
Guided by Yuki-san, we head into the forest.
"Airi, are you pushing yourself too hard?"
"No, I am fine."
I never expected my wife, Airi, to tag along. While rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles are certainly popular with children, there are plenty of people in Japan—just like Seraria-san—who absolutely loathe them. Because of this, I had assumed that anyone from this world who didn't have a positive image of insects would be forcing themselves to come along.
Yuki-san’s wives were split between those who came naturally and those who didn't, so I didn't think the ones who joined were struggling. But I couldn't help but worry that Airi was pushing herself to be with me. As I stared at her, she let out a wry, resigned smile and finally spoke.
"…To be honest, I am not fond of insects."
"Then…"
"However, I wanted to know about the things you played with as a child, Taiki-sama. I want to experience the things you enjoyed that I know nothing about. That is why I believe this experience will not be a bad thing."
"Airi…"
"It is alright. If I truly find it unbearable, I will return immediately. So, please, teach me the summer games you spent your time with. I was a tavern girl originally, after all. I can handle a few bugs."
"I see. Then, I’ll teach you everything about our summer vacation. Starting with catching these rhinoceros beetles."
"Yes."
She didn't seem to be pushing herself too hard, so I decided I would show her our summer vacation to the fullest. As we deepened our bond as a couple, I noticed Yuki-san had stopped.
Before us stood a magnificent sawtooth oak, and I could see tree sap oozing from various spots on the trunk. In fact, I could already see rhinoceros beetles and scarab beetles crawling about. I had thought we’d be lucky to find any at night, let alone in the middle of the day. As expected of Yuki-san, he never misses a beat.
"Um, big brother. Is this raggedy tree the one?" Ratz-san asked, looking at the tree before us.
Indeed, the trunk was riddled with holes, and with the bark peeled away in places where the sap was seeping out, it looked like a tree on the verge of decay. Since conifers would be considered dead in such a state, her reaction was natural. But for a broadleaf tree like a sawtooth oak, this was the ideal state for a feeding ground and home for insects.
"Ah, it might look pretty beat up, but this is normal. Go on, take a closer look. See, right there where the sap is coming out."
At his words, everyone gathered around. Naturally, Taizo-san and I just watched from a distance. We weren't beginners; we had already identified the insects on the trunk.
"Aslin!! Look!! It’s a rhinoceros beetle!!"
"Wow, there’s a rhinoceros beetle!"
"Huh, so this is a rhinoceros beetle."
"…Seeing it in person is different."
"It’s kind of prickly, isn't it? Its legs and all."
"Hmm, hmm. So this is a rhinoceros beetle. If they are actually useful for agriculture, perhaps there is a business to be made in raising them."
Airi was also gathered around with the others. Since she wasn't screaming, I felt relieved for the time being. At worst, some people compare them to the "G"s that appear in kitchens. To me, they are completely different, but to those who dislike them, they are just bugs.
"Alright, I’m going to give a quick explanation."
Yuki-san gently pried a male and female rhinoceros beetle away from the sap they were licking, being careful not to rip off their legs.
"As you can see, rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles have hook-like claws on their feet that they use to latch onto the trunk. If you try to pull them off by force, their legs will snap off, so be gentle. The ones with horns are males, and the ones without are females. Since we plan to hold an insect sumo tournament, we’ll want males. For the length contest, we don't measure the horns, so females are fine too."
*Hmm, hmm.* It’s the same as in Japan. Well, I’d be at a loss if someone asked me about methods outside of Japan anyway.
"Also, this sawtooth oak is the best tree for finding rhinoceros beetles. As you can see, unlike conifers, it has very distinct features, so it shouldn't be hard to find. I don't know if beetles will be on all of them, though. Usually, these insects are nocturnal, so it’s common to scout for sap during the day like this and come back to catch them at night."
"Big brother, the way you say that makes it sound like they aren't here during the day?"
"That's right. Basically, they hide under the soil, in gaps in the bark, or in the shade of the branches during the day. So…"
Yuki-san raised his leg and kicked the trunk. *Thud, thud…*
Oh, they really do fall. I guess his boosted stats make it quite effective. He’d have to be careful not to snap the tree, though. But while I, Yuki-san, and Taizo-san were thinking about that…
"Kyaaaaaa!?"
The women were bombarded by a carpet of insects falling from directly above. Yeah, thinking about it calmly, that’s the correct reaction for a lady. Once the women had calmed down, Yuki-san continued his explanation.
"…As you can see, it’s a nuisance to have people around, and the impact of the fall can damage the insects, so I don't really recommend it. And then, there’s this insect net."
To continue his explanation while receiving the resentful glares of the women—as expected of Yuki-san. I could never imitate that. But right, this is where the insect net comes in handy.
"Well, some of you could use magic, but basically, you use this net to…"
Yuki-san snuck the net toward a cicada chirping on the neighboring tree and caught it in one swift motion.
"Like this."
"Brother is amazing!! A hunter!!"
"Whoa, you caught it all at once! Cicadas are so fast when they fly."
Once you get used to it, you can catch cicadas with your bare hands, too.
"It’s easy once you get the hang of it. Rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles will fly if they have to. If you try to fly with magic or climb the trunk clumsily, they’ll sense you and escape."
"…Hmm. It makes sense."
"Indeed. However, this requires a certain level of skill, doesn't it? It’s starting to get fun."
"As Samantha says, you need observational skills to find the trees and the insects, and you need to devise ways to catch them. Well, it’s just a game, so feel free to take it easy."
When Yuki-san says it, it sounds like some grand endeavor, but as he said at the end, it’s just a game.
"Also, fortunately, there were two types of stag beetles among the ones that fell earlier, so I’ll show you those."
Yuki-san took a saw-tooth stag beetle and a flat stag beetle out of the insect cage. Since the species were clearly different, it would be easy for Airi and the others to understand. It’s hard to tell the difference between a Miyama stag beetle and a saw-tooth stag beetle at a glance, after all. Is it like comparing a Zaku F-type to a Gouf J-type?