Mid Boss Chapter 42: “Bird Cage”

~Alraune Perspective~

“It’s been 10 days since then, isn’t it?” (Alraune)

　I muttered with my fingers whirling around my hair.

“That’s right,” he replies.

　The boy standing by the window—he may look young, but that’s just his temporary form.

　The soul within is that of his former boss, the boss of the Cave of Silence, Thousand Hands Narugoa.

　Looking at his serious expression overlooking the road, I felt my heart skip a beat.

　… Again, it has already been ten days since the four of us left the village of Gatel.

　This trip towards the Cave of Silence, where we work, but we have not yet reached our destination.

　Our journey will still continue.

　――But I still can’t seem to get used to this feeling!

“…Cool.” (Alraune)

“Did you say something?”

“What!? Nothing!” (Alraune)

　I hurry and made excuses.

　It’s dangerous, it seems that I unconsciously said it out loud.

　–I know.

　Now he, of course, doesn’t look like the old Thousand Hands Narugoa.

　Because he was reincarnated. He looks like a normal human boy.

　That is, this beating inside my chest is proof.

　What attracted me was not his superficial exterior, but his soul. [T/N: That’s good. Don’t touch the shota.]

　Ah, my whole face grew hot.

　Despite having an inner monologue, I’m thinking of something really awkward!

“They’re late, aren’t they, those two?” (Alraune)

　I squeezed out the words to cover up the embarrassment that was making my face burn.

　Narugoa glances here.

“Do you mean Poison Slime and ?”

“Yes, yes, isn’t this a long time to be out shopping?” (Alraune)

“Oh… they won’t be back until tomorrow morning, because I asked them to do so.”

“Eh? Why do you…?” (Alraune)

“How slow Alraune… No, Al.”

　Oh, it’s my nickname…

　I’ve been thinking about this somewhat dreamily, and then Narugoa walked up to me and said to me.

“Eh……” (Alraune)

　The bed creaked with a grinding sound.

　The next thing I know, I’m looking up at the ceiling.

　–He pushed me down.

“Hey, Narugoa, what are you…” (Alraune)

　I gulped.

　Narugoa’s face is close, his eyes and nose.

　His childish arms are just far enough that I can feel his body heat even though he hasn’t touched me yet.

“You’ve just been asking questions, will you not understand until I put it in words?”

　My heart skipped a beat at his mischievous smile, which I had never seen before.

　My chest felt like it was being squeezed, and it was like I can’t breathe.

　Someone was tapping at the window, but I didn’t really care about that.

“No, I am not yet ready for…” (Alraune)

　The rustling of clothes, the creaking bed, his breathing.

　And the beating of my heart is drowning out the sounds.

　Also, what’s with the noise, why is someone tapping on my window?

　How noisy.

“Stop talking.”

“…” (Alraune)

　I can’t take my eyes off his face.

　I couldn’t move one even a single finger, just staring at his captivating eyes.

　His eyes are turning white and blurry, and his figure sways.

　It’s as if I’m waking up and that I was just dreaming…

“—you’ve been dreaming! Al-san!!” (Poison Slime)

　Finally, I heard a voice from outside the window.

　…Ah, it was such a good dream.

　Somehow I knew it from the beginning, let me see the end of that dream.

　I slowly close my eyelids.

“Al-san!? Please don’t sleep in such a dangerous situation! Please get up! Al-san! Al-san!” (Poison Slime)

　Ignore them. Just ignore them.

“Narugoa-san it’s no good! Al- san won’t wake up!” (Poison Slime)

“Shit! No!”

　I’m the four-handed ability user—[Thousand Hands], and I’m under a storm of gravel where I could only click my tongue.

　Being carpet-bombed with gravel by enemy troops is inevitable. It’s like being thrust unprepared into a storm.

“How about you !?”

　I raise my voice so as not to lose to the crackling sound of the stones falling. But…

“Munya~ munya~, wow, smoothies everywhere… If I drink this much, my skin will be smooth…” (Kyuuketsu)

“No! She’s dreaming of healthy things!” (Poison Slime)

“Ku…! Only me and the Sergeant are keeping them safe!”

　In such a situation, the Sergeant is a nickname taken from the Poison Sergeant, the title and alias of Poison Slime. [T/N: WTF?! You’re using Sergeant again for Poison Slime? *sigh*]

　The gravel pouring down from the sky constantly hitting us, but where do we hide, Sergeant is immune to all physical attacks.

　――But the desperate situation is still the same.

　Alraune and the vampire bat Kyuu-chan are sleeping in the middle of the enemy attack, and my Thousand Hands are literally at full capacity because they are protecting them and me!

“This is another troublesome imitation…!”

　I hear a faint singing voice through the cacophony of gravel raining from above.

　I forcibly stop myself from losing my consciousness with an awakening spell that is chant by my “hand”.

　This song is really annoying!

“A song with a sleep-inducing effect is such a cheat!” (Poison Slime => Sergeant)

　Sergeant shouts.

　Yes, we were trapped and nowhere to go.

　Along the way to the Cave of Silence, I can hear a strangely lively sound from the depths of the forest, so are they having a festival?  suddenly collapsed while I was thinking about it.

　When I was wondering what was going on, Alraune collapsed next, and soon I was suddenly feeling drowsy.

　The only ones who escaped were me, who quickly deployed my [Thousand Hands] to cast an awakening spell, and Sergeant, whose physical structure was different from ours, but we were soon carpet-bombed with stones from above.

　Apparently, we’ve stepped into the territory of those monsters flying above us without us realizing it!

“Can’t we try to discuss with each other, harpies!”

　A flock of half-human and half-bird monsters, Harpies, who just filled the sky above, looked like they are toying with us.

~3^rd Person Perspective~

“-Diva-sama!! Intruders have been put into the [Birdcage]!” (Harpy)

“It seems that a human summoner who seems to be defending against us by using a strange “Hand” and we do not have an effective attack against them!” (Harpy)

“It seems impossible that escape is impossible for them! Diva-sama!! What’s should we do next!” (Harpy)

“Diva-sama!! Diva-sama!!” (Harpies)

　Harpies gathered on a giant tree surrounding a single Harpy.

　She was clearly a rare species.

　Her iridescent wings took on a complex hue in the sunlight.

　Her bird’s feet, deformed from the knees down, looked extremely powerful.

　But what caught everyone’s attention most of all was the shape of her face.

　She looked as if she had been carved out of ice by a first-rate sculptor, with an overwhelming beauty that was both beautiful and cruel.

　The Harpies praise her.

　Her beauty, her voice.

　Yes, she is the Harpy Queen, the Youthful Leader, who is followed by the forty-eight harpies.

　By extension, the Boss of the dungeon–

“–For the time being, keep the young boy alive and catch him.” (Diva)

　Diva the Harpy Queen gave orders to her subordinates with a clear voice like a lyre strung by a young maiden.