Places called towns are surrounded by walls and rivers, and are designed to make it difficult for monsters to invade. Unlike villages, they are designed to be a place where many people can live safely.
However, if a disaster were to occur within these walls, there would be limited places to escape to, making it hellish.
Even though it was the middle of the day when people should still active, there was no gatekeeper at the north gate and it was eerie quiet. I felt anxious and wanted to stop walking, but my father and the others kept going, so I had no choice but to go on as well.
Feeling uneasy, I pass through the gate, but there is no one outside, even though it is still daylight, and it is a strange sight, but there is no tragedy unfolding. I feel a little relieved at this.
“If there are survivors, they’re probably hiding somewhere. For now, let’s scatter the first bag of mushroom spores around here, then check the houses and shops.”
I nodded at my father’s words and took out a bag of spores from my bag.
Even if the spores are sown, they will not necessarily turn into mushrooms. There are certain conditions that must be met for mushrooms to grow. However, if a living thing, including monsters, ingests them, a maga-grown mushroom will definitely grow. The spores do not immediately grow, but can live for a while without causing any problems, so if you eat or drink something with your hands after touching a wall with the spores on it, you can become infected.
“Sylph, spirit of the wind. Grant me the power to dispel the stagnation. May the new wind fill this land.”
The moment I cast the spell, a swirling wind rose up beneath my feet. I felt my robes flutter, and then I turned over the bag of spores.
The wind prevented the spores from falling to the ground, and they rose into the air in one go. I poured a lot of magical power into the spell, so although it wouldn’t have been possible to spread it inside a building with the windows closed, I think it would have been possible to spread it over a fairly wide area outdoors.
I stopped my magic at a good spot and looked around, where my eyes met with some middle-aged men with very complicated expressions on their faces.
“What’s the matter?”
I’m taking preventive medication properly, so I don’t think I’ll get infected even if I spread a lot of mushroom spores.
“…It should have been a truly mystical sight.”
“Yeah. The mask and goggles make me feel a bit strange.”
“Even though she grew up to be a beautiful woman, it’s like she doesn’t have any flowers.”
“…What’s the point of worrying about your appearance in a place like this?”
First of all, the act of scattering mushroom spores is not mysterious at all. If we just look at the words without explaining the reason, it seems more like an eccentric act.
I look at the adults with a blank stare, saying silly things, perhaps to relieve tension.
“Don’t raise morale with a human girl. Well then, let’s split up and check the inside of the building as we agreed.”
At my father’s command, we checked out each of the buildings.
I knock on the door of a nearby house, but there is no response. I pull the door hesitantly, but it is unlocked and opens with a clang. The surroundings are quiet, so the sound of the door opening and closing sounds very loud.
I looked inside the house with the door wide open, but there was no sign of anyone coming out. The slightly dimly lit house was silent, giving the impression that no one was there.
However, you can’t see all the rooms from the front door, so I decide to go inside. I’ve never entered someone’s house without permission, so it feels strange. I know I can’t take my time, but the task of entering someone else’s house and inspecting it is different from being on guard against monsters in the mountains.
Still, I swallow my hesitation and keep opening the door. Perhaps someone is hiding there, waiting for help.
I’m not sure if I can call it fortunate, but there was no one in the house I entered for the first time.
Although there were spider webs, I didn’t encounter any insect-like monsters, so I let out a sigh of relief and went outside, when I heard a loud, destructive sound coming from another house. I looked over there cautiously, but the man came out without any signal being fired.
“I’ve planted some mushroom spores, but please see if they’re okay.”
My father, who had been standing outside the building, just like me, was told to go inside.
The verification process seemed to be completed quickly, and my father came out.
“Was there a monster?”
“Yeah. It was a pretty big rat. Also, the damage to the corpse was pretty severe, so be careful because there are probably other monsters out there like that one.”
The words spoken so casually made my breath stop.
That’s right. If it were just monsters, it would be quicker to kill them than to sow mushrooms. The spores are not for approaching monsters, but for dealing with the undead. In other words, there must have been something in the house that could turn them into undead.
Just imagining it made me feel sick, so I tried not to think too specifically about it and opened the door to the next building.
And the moment I opened it, something big jumped on me, so I quickly strengthened my body to avoid it. What came out was a rat the size of a small dog. Not only was the rat big, it also had abnormally developed front teeth and claws.
“Sylph, spirit of wind. Salamander, spirit of fire. Grant me the power to stop the movement of evil. Let me have the wind that can freeze everything. Sever Cold Hell”
As soon as I confirmed it, I quickly recited a spell, freezing the rat.
The mouse, frozen white, collapsed to the ground. My heart was beating loudly. I clenched my trembling hands tightly and stepped into the house.
If there are people who need help, I want to help them. But if possible, I don’t want anyone to be in a house with a monster like that.
When I opened the door inside the house, I found a rat again, so I froze it with magic. Actually, fire magic would be better to prevent it from turning into undead later, but fire magic is too dangerous to use in a house like this.
Four mice turned white and collapsed. That’s a lot considering the one that just jumped out the front door. What’s ahead? I’m anxious and distressed.
Still, I opened the door and found the remains of a lifeless creature along the way.
“!!”
I stop the scream that was about to come out and freeze a rat again.
The rats had eaten it, leaving barely any more than bloodstains, but it was probably a pet dog. The rats were not big enough to swallow it whole, so the collar remained along with some of the fur. However, the moment I saw what was left, my stomach acid rose up and I had a bad taste in my mouth.
Since there is nothing left, there may not be any need to sow mushroom spores, but with trembling hands I take the spores out of my bag and let the wind blow them around the house, as if to send my fear flying away somewhere along with it.
Once the spores had finished dispersing, I ran outside to take a breather. I had apparently unconsciously held my breath.
“Amelia, are you okay?”
My father was worried because I was casting spells one after another, and ended up using wind magic, so he came to check on me. I didn’t want to make him worry too much and delay the investigation, so I forced a smile. However, because I was wearing a mask and goggles, my father couldn’t see my face even if I smiled.
“Yeah. It’s fine. There were just a bunch of rat monsters and a dead pet dog. There was nothing human.”
I tried to speak as calmly as possible so that my voice wouldn’t tremble, but my father seemed to know what I was thinking and looked worried. But I didn’t want to hold him back by worrying him.
There’s no point in coming to the town if I’m just going to be a hindrance.
“It’s okay.”
“Yes, I understand. I’m sure Amelia will be fine. But it’s normal for humans to be scared of seeing corpses killed by monsters in the middle of town, so if you start to feel unwell you can just take a break, okay? It’ll be a great help if you just keep sowing mushroom spores. Also, if you start to feel unwell you can take a break from searching the house and sow the seeds you brought from the village in the meantime.”
I feel a little relieved that the fear that I could never erase is affirmed.
My father knew that I was not the type of person who would be cheered up by being comforted, and that I would instead get frustrated with myself if I couldn’t do something, so he just gave me some advice and went back into the other houses.
It’s okay. I can still do it. So I’ll try a little harder.
I put strength into my stomach and opened the door to another house again.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!
