Black Cat Chapter 132: Encounter

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　The next morning, when I woke up and got out of the shelter, I found a silver world all around the relay station.

　Chariot’s carriage was also snowed down because the framework of the hood was about to be distorted.

　Using void magic, he made a smooth board and inserted it under the snow, then made a gap in the snow and the snow slid down by itself.

　When I finished removing most of the snow, I looked around from the top of the canopy and saw a number of tents that had been crushed by the weight of the snow.

　I wondered if the group huddled around the large campfire were the owners of the collapsed tents.

　Yesterday morning, the encampment seemed to be in high spirits as we prepared to take down the wyvern, but this morning it looked more like a group of refugees than adventurers trying to subjugate a wyvern.

　The piled-up snow is as high as my waist… it looks like it’s going to exceed 40 centimeters.

　Adventurers bring a variety of equipment with them to take on the challenge, but they don’t even have big shovels that can be used for shoveling snow.

　Originally, digging holes was the responsibility of those with an earth attribute, and those with other attributes carried only small shovels because they would become dead weight.

　It would have been quicker to dig with their own burly hands, but even adventurers are no match for the cold.

　Moreover, even if they tried to gather branches for a fire, they would be soaked from the rain and snow, making them useless.

　The adventurers’ spirits were dropping.

　What about the wyvern?

　I turned my gaze to Mount Bule and tried to imagine wyvern’s state of mind.

　The night before last, it had almost been killed, but it had escaped back home after shedding its skin.

　It must have been a humiliating experience for the wyvern.

　Yesterday it rained and snowed all day.

　The wyvern is said to live in a cave near the summit of the mountain, but it probably spent the day there without leaving its cave.

　I heard that molting is physically draining, and since they escaped back home after being hurt more than anything else, I see a good chance that they will attack today to both replenish their strength and relieve their frustration.

　The question is how and from which direction they will attack.

　The body that has finished molting should not be as strong as it was just before the molt.

　If the wyvern is aware of this, they will think of ways to get their prey without being attacked.

“If that’s the case, is it a surprise attack… the question is, where will it come from…” (Laius)

　The relay site is surrounded by grasslands, interspersed with woods, but basically with good visibility.

　The good visibility is the reason why it was chosen as the site for the wyvern’s subjugation.

　In fact, standing on the top of the wagon’s hood and looking around, one can see almost 360 degrees.

　Under these conditions, it would be difficult for a wyvern to approach undetected.

　However, adventurers have a preconceived notion in their minds that the wyvern will fly away from Mount Bule and approach them.

　So much so that when the wyvern attacked from directly above us, no one noticed it until I did. [T/N: Nyango has good prey instincts even if he’s already a strong fluff.]

　If that is the case, it is probably best to assume that they will come down from directly above us this time as well.

　I discussed this with Laius at breakfast, and he agreed to ask the rest of the party to widen the direction of the lookout.

“What do you think, Serge?” (Laius)

“Nyango’s guess of coming from directly above is the most likely, but we should also consider coming from behind, shouldn’t we?” (Serge)

“From behind… you mean from the west?” (Laius)

“Yes, it’s like when we’re all looking at Mount Bule and it comes at us from behind.” (Serge)

“But if they’re coming from the west, can’t we spot it if we keep an eye out?” (Laius)

“You’d think, wouldn’t you? What if it comes flying near the ground?” (Serge)

“Close to the ground… I didn’t think about it.” (Laius)

　The lookout of the adventurers is like an anti-aircraft radar, to use an analogy from a previous life’s knowledge.

　However, like radar, it cannot cover a wide area, and blind spots are easily created when assumptions get in the way.

　The wyvern gives a preconceived notion that they will swoop down from high in the sky and attack, so if they fly just above the ground, as Serge said, we will be slow to spot it.

“Laius, I still want you to let me keep an eye on it from the top of the carriage.” (Nyango)

“But we can’t lose Nyango by any chance, and a black catkin on the snow would be too conspicuous.” (Laius)

“Then what if I am wearing this?” (Nyango)

　I put the undyed cloth that had been left in one corner of the shelter, which had been used to wrap dishes and pots and pans, over my head.

“Hmm… If you promise to get off the carriage when the wyvern approaches, I’ll allow it.” (Laius)

“It’s okay if it’s just escaping, I won’t lose to an A-rank monster.” (Nyango)

　I persuaded the reluctant Laius to let me stay on top of the wagon and keep an eye on the west side of the area.

　The sky was covered with clouds and snowflakes near dawn, but by noon the sun began to shine through the clouds.

　The adventurers who were hunched around the campfire also got ready and looked up at the sky.

　They wondered if the wyvern might be approaching using the clouds as cover, or if they would break through the clouds at any moment.

　Although the bait cattle had not yet been drawn out, many of the adventurers began to look from the edge of the encampment toward Mount Bule.

“It’s not necessarily coming from that direction, watch yourselves back and forth, left and right.” (Laius)

　Laius called out as he walked along, and the adventurers huffed and looked directly above and to the left and right as well.

　If it were true, it would have been better to make an arrangement as to who would keep watch in which direction, but it would be unreasonable to ask adventurers to be so cooperative.

　By the time we finished lunch, the weather had improved further, and blue skies were beginning to open up, but the wyvern was nowhere to be seen.

　After lunch, keeping watch on the top of the canopy was a painful task.

　My belly was full, and the sky was warm and sunny.

　The temperature itself is low because of the snow around us, but I was warm because I was wearing winter clothes made of void attribute magic.

　This situation is like telling a catkin to sleep.

　Well, I can’t sleep, this is the time when the wyvern might come… but I feel like I’m going to lose the fight against sleepiness.

　I was sure I would fall asleep if I stayed seated, so I got up and continued to walk around and keep watch.

　The people around me must have thought I was a strange guy, scampering around on top of a hood, covered with a cloth.

　I managed to keep my watch without falling asleep, but the wyvern never showed itself.

　Perhaps its molted body had not acclimated yet?

　Time passed without the wyvern appearing, and the sun began to set in the west.

　As expected, the air in the relay station began to loosen, but having been caught by surprise many times before, the veteran adventurers scolded the younger ones not to relax.

　Nevertheless, it was tiring to stay tense all day long.

　The sun’s westerly rays reflected off the snowfield, giving a strong glare.

“It’s so glaring… I want sunglasses…” (Nyango)

　My murmured words gave me goosebumps.

　I’m sure the wyvern will come and attack here, but… there’s no evidence.

　Like when it attacked from directly above, I still haven’t been able to spot it, and I have no proof that it would definitely come, but my intuition kept ringing the alarm bells.

“Where is it, where will it come from…” (Nyango)

　I wanted to strain my eyes to find Wyvern’s shadow, but the snowfield, which reflected the western sun, was too bright to keep my eyes open.

　I decided it was impossible to keep watch alone and was about to get off the top to join Laius and the others when suddenly a large shadow flashed into my field of vision.

　The wyvern seemed to be approaching, flying along the surface of the boundary river, which flowed westward.

　The wyvern suddenly appeared from the riverbank and headed straight for me.

　Its large green eyes were fixed on me, and its sharp claws, as long as daggers, were coming at me.

“[Pulverize]!” (Nyango)

　I quickly activated a pulverization magic circle, and the blast pushed the wyvern’s body up, but the claws scraped away at my full armor as I fell to the ground.

　The wind pressure from the wyvern, which flew through the sleet, sent me flying off the top of the wagon.

　Fortunately, the snow that had fallen around the wagon provided a cushion.

　The adventurers fired fire-attribute attack magic at the wyvern that had suddenly appeared, but it was sporadic, and the projectile’s speed was too slow to catch the wyvern.

　The wyvern flew over the encampment, soared into the sky, and turned toward us.

　I’m still at least 500 meters away, but I have a feeling that the wyvern has its sights set on me.

　Maybe it thinks I’m the one who foiled their surprise attack and accidentally found them, and also the one who hurt them the day before yesterday.

　I feel that the wyvern’s eyes, which have begun to descend, are looking at me.

“Unya! If you come towards me, I’ll give you plenty of pain!” (Nyango)

　I thrust the middle finger of my right hand towards the wyvern.

“Kyeeeee!” (Wyvern)

　I don’t think he understood the meaning of the gesture, but the wyvern bared its fangs and came straight at me with a high-pitched screech. 

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