Forty-six: You know how trouble always comes from somewhere you’d never expect.

My name’s Ed! Orphan!

Raised by Sister Azul at the church orphanage.

At first, there were lots of friends with me, but after some stuff happened, it ended up being just four of us.

Me, Ed—the wolf beastman, Saika the rabbit beastman, Kai the lesser panda beastman, and Wamika the cat beastman.

Don’t really know the full story, but Sister Azul became a priestess, and we moved to a frontier settlement.

It was just a plain riverside with nothing at all, but boom—before you could blink, it turned into a big town!

Never seen anything like that before!

Of course, we all helped out!

So now there’s a proper church and orphanage, and that’s where we live.

I managed to get magic training after asking Craft brother, but I wasn’t great at using it.

My adventurer brothers taught me, but apparently wolf-beasts and rabbit-beasts aren’t good with magic.

When I got down, they taught me swordplay instead.

One day, Craft brother showed up and apologized for secretly using an insane stamina potion.

I didn’t get why he was sorry, but I forgave him.

I like Craft brother, that’s why!

And then he gave me the ability to use that legendary potion or whatever.

If it makes me stronger, what’s the problem?

That’s how things went—helping around town, helping out at the church—until suddenly, they made me go to school.

At first I didn’t wanna go to school, didn’t feel like studying, but there were plenty of friends my age, and the lunch was good, so I showed up regular.

Learned stuff from Craft brother too.

Life in the new Goldendown frontier town? Super fun.

Azu sister seemed busy, but she looked happy, so whatever.

“Let’s hold the three hundred and sixty-eighth Round Table Meeting! Everyone ready!?”

“Saying it again, Ed, where’s the round table?”

“In the heart!”

“Wait, we haven’t even done three hundred and sixty-eight yet?”

“Soul count!”

“Ugh…”

Sighing at me is Cyka, the rabbit beastman. Grew up with me and Azu sister at the orphanage. Man, women are such a pain sometimes!

Today I got permission from the older brothers at the adventurer’s guild to join the training. No stamina potions allowed today, so everyone’s wiped out—been ages since I felt this drained. But what we’re about to talk about is important: the critical mission of the Edosayaka Miyami Adventuring Party!

“Hey, Miyaka! Don’t fall asleep!”

“Unnyu～”

Miyaka’s too laid-back, that’s the problem.

Maybe it’s because she’s a cat beastman?

Nah, the sister at the guild reception, Miki, was all sharp and energetic.

Huh. Guess it’s just Miyaka’s personality.

“Miyaka-chan, you should wake up. Ed’ll get mad again.”

“Unya～”

Kai, the lesser panda beastman, gently shakes her, all hesitant and soft.

I heard from Azu-sister that lesser panda beastmen are super rare. Never seen another one besides Kai.

I'm a wolf beastman, but even that's rare.

Back when I was younger, Azu-sister told me something. Said both of us, being strong beastmen, should grow strong and noble.

I'm doing my best to get stronger, sure. But Kai just can't shake that cowardice.

"Dammit! Just listen already!"

"Yessir. Go on then."

Damn it. I hate how Sika acts. Like she's got it all figured out. "I know, I know," all smug and stuff.

But without Sika, we'd never get anything done.

"Alright, then! Let's announce our first adventure since forming the Edosika Kaiwami Adventuring Group!"

"Hey, Ed, can't we change that name?"

"What? It's gotta include everyone's name. Right, Kai?"

"Uh... that's nice of you, but it's kinda hard to remember..."

"Really? Got any other ideas, then?"

"Didn’t we already hash this out? Dragon Adventurers, or whatever."

"I thought Dragon Adventurers sounded good..."

"Right, but it’s just like Craft’s horse, so let’s drop it."

"Uh-huh."

"Tebasakii."

"Cut it out. I’m not your big sister, Persia."

We kept bickering, and now I’m just lost in the mess. So we’ll just go with Edsai Kaka Imika Adventurers for now.

Seriously, thinking up a name’s gonna make my head spin.

"Fine. Anyway, let’s get on with the plan."

"Why’s Sai ka always such a know-it-all?"

"If Ed would just pull his head in a bit, this wouldn’t happen."

"Damn it..."

"Alright, alright. Let’s move on."

Why do I always get steamrolled by Sai ka?

"Um. Our first big adventure as a group is going into the forest and taking down an oak!"

"Yeah? Then I'll go ask Jitarou."

"Idiot. That's not it. We're going alone!"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"I could go for a snack, though."

Sai ka and Kyle burst out with wild voices, and Wamika pulled a biscuit out of nowhere. Ah, nice.

"Wait. Kyle. You're not bringing an adult with us, right?"

"Then it's just a picnic!"

"Even if Craft and Jitarou and the other adventurers are around, everyone's 'picnic' is kinda dangerous. When are you gonna figure that out?"

"Something wrong?"

"Hmm. Nothing much. Probably this town's picnics just turn out like this..."

I don't get what Sai ka's on about.

A picnic's just taking lunch to a nice view, right?

But the forest's dangerous. No grown-up around, and it's not a picnic.

I’m not stupid, so I figured the first adventure should just be going to that big rock—like a picnic, but with actual danger.

Adventure only counts if there’s no grown-up around!

"...I see. I get what Ed’s getting at. What about you two?"

"It’s dangerous. Monsters everywhere."

"Sounds fun~"

"One for, one against."

"I’m fully in, so that’s two votes."

"I don’t get it. Two in... okay, fine. I think we’re safe enough right now."

"Sayka, what’s your take?"

"Hmm... Ed’s actually thinking about it for once. I’ve been to that big rock plenty of times."

"Oh, if Sayka’s okay with it, then I guess it’s fine."

"Kyle, you should think for yourself a little more."

That Sayka—saying all that, but you can tell from her face she’s already hyped.

"Alright! Everyone’s in then!"

"Got it! Tomorrow’s off—school and the orphanage help too. We’re hitting the road first thing in the morning!"

"Ed, you can take down monsters, but no animals, got it?"

"Yep. Got it."

Don’t know why, but apparently you can’t hunt animals that you can eat unless you’ve got that ‘shuryoken’ move—some kind of super-strong fist. Never seen Jitarou use it, but he’s probably got it.

"Goal’s clear: take down some orcs, grab some magic stones—gift for Azu-nee!"

"Sounds good. Now I’m fired up."

"I’ll do my best too!"

"Let’s go!"

Three of them lit up the second Azu-nee’s name came up. Should’ve said that from the start!

We quietly took the legendary stamina potion from Craft brother, poured it from the barrel into our water sacks, and stocked up on healing potions and cure potions too.

"Craft brother said I could use as much as I wanted, right?"

We’ll use these if things get bad. Just run.

While we’re sharpening our gear, we’re preparing for tomorrow.

◆

Led to the guildmaster’s room, Cyanos, the adventurer guildmaster, unfolded a map and got straight to business.

"Currently, a large number of cockatrices have been confirmed in this region."

Calm in tone, but his face was pale as snow.

The area he pointed to was near the town—and vast.

"Pretty close to the town, and huge. Is that it? Spread out shallowly across the land?"

"Exactly on the outskirts. But near the center, it’s too dense to approach. Details are unknown."

"They’ve got petrification breath. Without resistance, it’s bad news. Raidock—could he handle it?"

"Can handle a light inhale. But if the breath gets stronger, that’s trouble."

"True enough."

Even a B-rank adventurer like me can’t just keep breathing in that stuff and stay unscathed.

"Still, just a single cockatrice is bad enough. Now you’re saying there’s a whole swarm? Give me a rough count—estimate’s fine."

"Can’t get close enough to tell for sure... but it’s a wide range..."

"Even a rough guess is better than nothing. Can’t plan a damn thing without one."

"Yes, sir. From reports by multiple adventurers, it’s likely around a thousand... maybe even over five thousand..."

"Five thousand!? Not even goblins multiply that fast!"

Goblins show up now and then. But a thousand cockatrices? That’s the first time I’ve seen that. Still, human settlements are just a tiny slice of the continent. Push deeper in, and you’d probably find unbelievable numbers of them—just normal, everyday things.

So basically, the thousand-strong cocatrices weren’t something we humans just failed to notice—they might’ve been totally normal here all along.

I can't deny it.

Something that makes you want to clutch your head.

Yeah, expanding the adventurers and boosting our strength is a must.

I knew it all along—built this fortress, didn’t I…?

"Still, that’s not normal. The chance of a flock of cockatrices showing up in town?"

"Not sure. Maybe our hunting in the shallow parts of the forest messed with the territory boundaries?"

So the Cocatris territory’s been pushed out from the inside, huh?

"Possible, I suppose."

This needs handling right away.

"Alright, I'm heading to talk with Kyle. You all figure out your responses in the meantime."

"Understood."

"For now, we start by mass-producing anti-stone potions. And we’d better stock up on stone-cure potions too. That’s a curse—regular cure potions won’t work."

"If we need any ingredients, just say the word. I’ll send hunters right away."

"I’ll get back to you all later with everything together."

"Understood."

This is going to be a race against time.

I split from the two and bolted toward Kyle’s estate.