Chapter 19

Troll And Locust


 

TL: Om3gakais3r
ED: Frozen ink

Searching for Yomir Herbs, we entered the deeper part of the forest .
　
For something that’s worth so much, of course it’s not going to be easy to find .
　
Everything else is only just poisonous grass .
　
If I didn’t have Item Appraisal, then it’s going to be even harder to collect them .
　
Let’s just ask Great Philosopher .
　
–Where is the closest Yomir Herb?

[Answer . From the current location go 210 meters straight, three stalks of Yomir Herb exist there . ]
　
It was good that I almost don’t feel any headache .
　
Going as Great Philosopher’s advice, as the information stated the herb was there so we collected it . Its appearance was similar to poisonous grass and it would have been impossible to distinguish them .

　
The request states that they need one stalk of Yomir herb and if I bring more, they’ll buy it 10,000 Ria each . Let’s just take some more and go home .
　
As I told Emma that, her face looked a little uneasy .

“But, didn’t they say that Trolls come out around the places Yomir Herbs grow . ”

“Yeah they did . ”

“Troll’s have very high attack power so if you get hit just once it’s going to be serious you know~”

“I see… Then it’s better if we stop and go home, huh?”

“That was what I thought but I remember someone saying that a troll’s tongue is delicious . If you eat it, your LP would go up . ”

“That’s… by all means, I want to taste it . ”

“If we do a surprise attack, then we’ll somehow manage to kill it . Could you find it by using Great Philosopher?”

“Wait a bit . ”

　
After asking the Great Philosopher, it seems that we’ll find the troll if we go 300 meters to the east .

“How about if we lure and trap it?”

“Not a bad idea . But it depends on the target . If the troll’s level is high then let’s run away . ”

“Okaay-!”

We discussed about how to do it . As result, we decided to dig a pitfall .
　
I brought out the shovel I used recently to dig at the park with Storage Skill . I choose a place with soft soil and then started digging the hole .

　
Because of my Digging Skill, I could easily dig the ground .
　
I heard that a troll’s height was more than around 2 meters and its body width was quite wide .
I created a hole in front of a big bush .
　
If it’s coming from the east, the dense bushes would make the hole hard to seen and it will be caught in the hole easily .
　
The troll’s intelligence isn’t that high either, so I think it will go as planned .
　
After the preparation, we moved to the place where the troll is . We walked without any sound, but then we heard a shriek that sounds like “Gieeh”
　
That shriek sounds like goblin .
　
—Whoah, there it is!

From the shade of the trees, we examined the troll’s condition .

As I thought, its body was huge and its limbs are thick .
　
Its skin was reddish brown and its face was like a noh-mask . Also its eye are sunk in . (TN: … this is fantasy world right? Why did he know about noh mask?)(Ed: otherworldly wisdom knows no bounds)
　
What we have to be vigilant about was its weapon . It looks like it’s swinging about a whole tree as a weapon .
　
Its destructive power was shown by how a goblin’s whole body was crushed by it .
　
Without words, I nodded to Emma . Roughly at the same time, we attacked . Emma shot a clump of wind, [Wind Shot] and I shot a 40 cm rock bullet .
　
The reason why I choose 40 cm of bullet was because if I maxed it out at 100cm then the speed would decreased accordingly .

“Buhooh-!”
ル。
It seems its reflexes are good . With one swing, the troll could defend with both wind and stone attack .

Its level is 25 with 3 skills which are [Strength UP] [Physical Resistance UP] [Poison Resistance UP]

“Over here! Follow me!”

“Mr Ogre, over here–! Kiss my ass, bweee”

Emma… . it’s not ogre, you know . What’s up with that stupid provocation?

“BFOOOOHH!!”

　
Whoah, looks like it was effective . I’ll apologize to Emma later .
　
We’re running with all our might, because of it, the troll furiously chasing us .
　
It was as slow as it appeared, so the distance between us and the troll has opened quite a bit .
　


While maintaining the speed so we were not too far from the troll, we matched our breathing and jumped .

「「Hup! 」」

Passing the bushes, we successfully jumped to the ground without the hole!

Thud thud, with the sound of troll’s step, it’s coming closer .

Didn’t notice the hole, it falling down!
　
However it seems that the troll realized that there’s something in front of it .

“HUP!”
　
It long jumped by mimicking us, even our shout . Yes, not just jump but long jump .
　
It leaped over our heads .

The troll showed its face to us who were looking up because of amazement, landing behind our back .

“Noir, I saw something on its crotch… . ”

“Yeah, that was not good for our eyes… . . ”

While the tension breaks, we stood up . The pitfall strategy failed so it became direct battle .

If I compare it with Dead Reaper, it’s not that much of an opponent but its offensive ability is high so we have to be vigilant .

“BUFOH, BUFOH, BUFOH!”

Matching its shout, it swings around its weapon (the tree) . Its movement in itself were dull so it won’t reach me or Emma .
　
However we can’t get closer either .

Although being hit by Emma’s Wind Shot, it could bear with it . My rock bullet was of physical damage so no meaningful damage could go through its defense .
　
How about I burn it with White Flame?
　
Nah, if I did so then its tongue would be burnt .

“Noir, could you distract it for just a moment? I’ll aim for its neck . ”

“I understand . I’ll try to do it . ”

　
For distracting an enemy, I wonder what I should do to obstruct its movement . I put my attention to the troll who is beating around with a tree like an idiot .

How about this kind of skill?

[Weight Addition 200 kg 200 LP]
　
So one kilogram per LP huh .

Though, 800LP is needed to grant the skill to the troll .
　
My remaining LP wasn’t even 1,000 . It seems this method isn’t possible .
　
How about using the skill on its weapon instead of its body?

… . oh, it seems possible, only 50LP needed . Because it was only a tree, so the rank was the lowest .

With 250LP used, I quickly increased enemy weapon’s weight .

“—FOOH!?”

　
The weapon the troll swung around immediately fell to the ground . It seems the troll couldn’t lift it any more .
　
The troll’s eyes were wide open wondering what was going on .

“Emma!”

“Leave it to me!”

Slash-slash—

Emma’s dual knife pierced both sides of the troll’s head . With this, it’s game over for the troll . It’s a victory for our team work .

　
After its humongous body fell, Emma leveled up .
　
After confirming the death of her enemy, she said “What did you do?” with a curious face to me .

“I added weight to its weapon”

“As expected from you! We’re both uninjured so its a success~”

“Yeah, I agree, let’s take its tongue and go home . ”

But its tongue is surprisingly long, that troll . Moreover the color is beautifully pink .
　
We returned to the guild before the night falls .
　
We successfully finished the request by delivering one stalk of the herb . The other two stalks were sold at 20,000 Ria so we split it equally in half .

“See you tomorrow! Bye-bye–”

“Bye-bye”

　
After separating with Emma, I walked home .

When I offered the troll’s tongue for mother to eat, she smiled happily while showing all of her white teeth .

It seems she has eaten it in the past . Seeing that reaction, perhaps I could expect something good out of it .

　
That way, Stargia family’s dining table was a little more gorgeous . The thing that was standing out was troll tongue which was medium roasted and the black insect thing .

“… . Is that locust made into tsukudani?” (TN: Tsukudani is small seafood, meat or seaweed that has been simmered in soy sauce and mirin . –wikipedia, In this case, locust . )
「
“Yes, it is–, because we have a lot of it♪”
　
Mother was humming a song while showing her smile . Opposite to her, father and Alice’s eyes looks like they don’t have any strength in them and look like dying animals .
　
Well, yeah .

The carcasses of insect laid out in a flat dish… to think that it’s grotesque is normal .

“I poured some soy sauce and sugar to the locust and lightly fried it . Noir, you’re eating it too right?”

“Eh, yeah . ”

By the way, soy sauce is a seasoning widespread by a cook who was lost from otherworld some hundred years ago .
　
Besides soy sauce, it seems that they also passed down many things like Miso, shichimi seasoning, cooking recipes and others . Chopsticks are also one of them .

Our family mainly uses fork though .

“Was locust tsukudani also the other world’s wisdom?”

“You’re right . Although they weren’t thankful about it . Well, then…”

　
‘Hurry, hurry’ Mother reminded me to eat the tsukudani .
　
I stab one of them with a fork and I placed it in my mouth just like that .

It needed some bravery . That’s because I put something that is not only dead, but a mysterious creature in my mouth .

　
—Eh? This is more than edible isn’t it?

When I chomp it down, its aroma was more delicious than I thought . It tastes sweet .
　
I’ve eaten small shrimp tsukudani, perhaps this taste close to those . It doesn’t smell bad . Perhaps the locust itself were flavorless .

To Mother who is waiting for my impression, I told her what I feel honestly without any restrain .

“As I thought you’ll absolutely understand how I feel”

She seems so happy .

It was because even in the family, she was the only one who liked food that no one else does .

Because she feels like she has a comrade, perhaps she couldn’t hold her excitement .

“… . Dear Brother finally became the person of that side . ”

“Don’t say it . Noir that we know is no more . He’s not here anymore!”

“Dear Brother, please come back… . ”

“Papa is sad… ”

Father and Alice, were exaggerating from me eating a locust .

This, doesn’t taste that bad, you know . It feels like It’ll become a habit .

The troll’s tongue too, its taste was something that makes the tension higher .
　
It’s only seasoned by a bit amount of salt but its texture was extraordinary .
　
It tastes like the ox tongue that I ate a long time ago .

Grind-grind, it feels like I could chew on it forever . It tastes good, the more I chew it the more of its flavor exudes .

My LP increased by 1,500!

Moreover, today I gained more than 1,000,000 Ria . It was the best school entrance ceremony!