第１５９５堀：新種発見と伴う面倒 (Part1)
Chapter 1595: The Discovery of New Species and the Troubles That Follow
Side: Wazfi
"Oho. Hmm, hmm. Oh my..."
Hivia muttered these sounds as she darted around the carcass of the monster sprawled before us, scribbling notes at high speed.
Well, I was doing much the same.
Today, as always, I was conducting my routine observation of the Great Forest. It is a necessary task for studying monster ecology, and Yuki-san, my employer, recognizes its importance. I don’t have to fund it myself; I receive a salary, and I get to conduct my research using the latest monitoring equipment. Just as I was thinking once again how glad I was to have been taken in by Weed, my comms chimed.
"Milly-san? Is something the matter? Did you find a new species of monster in Rogari?"
For some reason, it was a call from Milly-san. She has deep ties to the Adventurer’s Guild in Weed on the Rogari Continent, and her knowledge of monsters is second to none—I rely on her quite heavily. Since the Rogari Continent has an overwhelmingly higher monster population than the If Continent, the emergence of new species is a common occurrence. I’ve been called in for investigations like this many times before, so I assumed that was what this was about, but...
"Yes. It’s a new species, if you want to call it that. Tell me, do you remember? The talk about Yuki-san heading out to the coast of the Rogari Continent, out to the sea?"
"Ah, you mean the business about chasing down those dark guild members. Does that mean you went out to sea and caught some monsters?"
"Strictly speaking, these are the remains of monsters that Dressa-tachi and Tori-tachi exterminated. We’re about to examine them. What do you think?"
"I’ll be there, of course."
And that is how I found myself traveling from the Lancer Magic Academy to the basement of the Adventurer’s Guild in Weed.
The reason we were examining monsters caught by Weed inside the Adventurer’s Guild was to share information. It’s unthinkable on the If Continent, but on the Rogari Continent, monsters are seen as a common threat. It seems they conduct investigations here at the Guild, which then serves as a hub to relay information to various nations. This way, even countries that aren't on the best of terms receive the data accurately. After all, if a hostile nation heard rumors of an unusually powerful monster, they might suspect it was some kind of information warfare.
But, putting that aside...
"Wow, this is incredible. Is it a shrimp? But the shell seems far too hard for that."
"Right? With a shape like that, how on earth does it swim through the ocean?"
Hivia and I were focusing on a creature that looked like a cross between a shrimp and a centipede. Narjia-san, Firia, and Nilua were more interested in the earthworm-like polychaetes, mentioning something about how the rubbery skin might be useful. Other members of the Adventurer’s Guild were busy observing shark or fish-type monsters, harvesting scales and the like. I suppose they could be used for armor or similar gear.
As we were investigating these sea monsters, a voice called out.
"Mind if I join you?"
Yuki-san and his group entered. It seemed they had come to see the monsters, and they approached our area. And then...
"Whoa. It really does look like an Anomalocaris."
Yuki-san seemed to know of a creature similar to this monster.
"I wonder if this is edible?"
Hiiro, standing beside him, seemed intent on eating it. Well, the people of the Rogari Continent have surprisingly pragmatic views. Since monsters are abundant, utilizing their materials is a matter of course. This applies not only to weapons and armor but frequently to using their meat for food as well. I suppose it’s not that strange, considering we’re at the Lancer Magic Academy, but I still find it impressive that they’d want to eat a monster they’ve never seen before.
"Hard to say. It looks like a shrimp, so if you boiled it, the meat might be edible... but does it have much meat? And are the internal organs in the back?"
"The organs are bitter, you know."
Even Vilia joined the conversation. It’s true; internal organs are generally bitter. It’s standard practice to remove them before eating. As I was thinking about this, Yuki-san spoke up.
"So, what do the monster experts think? About these sea monsters?"
"They’re types I’ve never seen before, Big Brother."
"That’s right. As Aslin says, they are all types we’ve never encountered."
Before I could answer, Aslin and Milly-san stepped forward to explain. Well, their information is certainly more extensive than mine.
"So the Adventurer’s Guild didn’t have them registered either?"
"There are similar ones, but those are just types that look like oversized shrimp."
"Yes. This is the first time I’ve seen such a distinct difference in shape. As for the other monsters, while they resemble fish, they aren't quite the same..."
"There’s no record of these exact monsters anywhere. They aren't in my memory, either."
It seemed that for Milly-san and Aslin, these monsters were indeed unknown entities.
"I see. And what about you two, Wazfi and Hivia?"
"I’m afraid I’ve never seen this sort of thing either. Outside of Weed, the only sea monsters I know are from Sea-Cypho and Aurelia Port."
"Yeah. My specialty, and Wazfi’s, is the Great Forest."
I had no other answer to give Yuki-san. As Hivia said, my specialty is the Great Forest of the Lancer Magic Academy. I know of fish-type monsters in the ponds there, but I’ve never seen monsters this large or of such a high level. If I had encountered a monster of this level back then, I would have died instantly. It’s the same level as the Wyvern Zombie that killed Hivia. The fact that the Rogari sea is teeming with monsters of that caliber is, once again, a terrifying thought. It really makes me wonder how ordinary people manage to survive at all.
"I see. Then there is no doubt it’s a new species."
After hearing us out, Yuki-san thought for a moment before looking at us and asking for confirmation.
"That’s right. I can vouch for it."
"The Adventurer’s Guild also judges these monsters to be a new species."
"I also believe these monsters are a new species."
"Me too. There’s no doubt about it."
The reason the monster experts had gathered was for this investigation and the official certification of the new species. It was to determine whether they should be registered as distinct new monsters. If every organization just added new species on their own, it would lead to confusion over naming conventions. This process prevents that, and as I mentioned before, it ensures the information is relayed to the various nations and organizations. Usually, there would be a dispute over whose name to use, but here, that sort of thing doesn't happen.