Chapter 7 "In Other Words, Thanks to Nanomachines"
The morning at the mercenary guild was quiet.
Or rather, there might not have been many mercenaries in this village to begin with.
In the sparsely populated lobby, the receptionist behind the counter was busy with paperwork and other administrative tasks.
"Why did you come to the guild?"
"Why? To work, of course."
"Oh, I see."
"Is that so..."
In response to Eel's answer, Lala remembered that she had joined the mercenary guild yesterday.
Forgetting something in just one day seemed quite unusual, and Eel looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"It seems like... there are a lot of them. Which one are you going to take?"
"Well, let's see."
On the wall of the mercenary guild, there was a large bulletin board.
Various requests, written on palm-sized papers, were posted on it.
The vast number of papers covered the bulletin board like scales, towering over Lala's height.
"I prefer something we can complete along the way."
"Wow, there's even a request for subduing magical beasts. Scary!"
"Coming from someone who single-handedly threw an Arms Bear yesterday..."
"I-I didn't throw it!"
"It's pretty much the same thing."
Sighing, Eel said, "For now, this one should do."
Saying that, she peeled off a single request form.
Lala leaned in to take a look.
"Delivery of three Walking Fish... hunting fish?"
"Lala, can you read?"
"Yeah. With this many words, I can analyze them quickly."
"Analysis?"
Said casually by Lala, Eel looked up in surprise a moment later.
"So, thanks to nanomachines."
"Nanomachines... what are those?"
Lala abandoned any detailed explanation.
Eel sighed, holding her head.
"So, what kind of creature is the Walking Fish?"
"It's more like a magical creature than an animal. Essentially, it's a fish that walks on land."
"Hmm, there's something like that?"
"It seems surprisingly delicious."
"Oh, you eat it..."
"For now, Lala judged that there wasn't much deviation in taste between this world's food culture and her own. She became interested in the taste of the walking fish. Eel took the request form to the counter and accepted the job.
"Well then, the deadline is seven days later. Deliver it to Yalda's Mercenary Guild."
"Got it."
After receiving a copy of the request form, the two left the guild.
"Are we going back to the inn and then leaving?"
"Yeah. There's nothing more to do here."
And so, the two collected their belongings left in the inn room, took their horses, and left the village in the morning sun. The road stretching vertically through the plain had naturally formed due to the coming and going of travelers. The two walked leisurely on the straight grassland.
"Hey, Eel. Why don't we ride the horses?"
Eell walked with the reins of the horse, its back burdened with luggage. Lala inquired, "Why not ride the horses?"
"Rod is a packhorse. I only ride when necessary."
"But you rode when I dragged the bear to the village, right?"
"That was necessary."
"If you had just waited, we would have reached the village."
"Could I bring a suspicious guy dragging a bloodied bear into the village?"
Eell, urging her to be more aware of her strength, pinched Lala's white cheek.
"Mufya!? Eeeyaah!"
Lala desperately tried to escape, but she couldn't evade the strength of the seasoned mercenary. In the end, her fair skin blushed slightly.
"Ugh... that hurt."
"Lala's cheeks are soft and squishy."
"Don't say it like you're impressed!"
Eel skillfully avoided Lala's resentful gaze.
"By the way, the next town is called Yalda, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. Impressive, huh?"
"I'm not a child, you know!?"
Recalling the name of the town mentioned by the guild receptionist, Lala spoke up. Eel widened his amber eyes and tousled her white hair.
"Ah, sorry. Your head was conveniently at the right height."
"Ugh! That's why I hate tall people!"
Lala clenched her fists in frustration as she blushed, distancing herself a bit from Eel. Her petite head was just around Eel's chest height.
"So, what's Yalda like?"
Taking a bit of distance from Eel, Lala returned to the main topic.
"It's a big town. Located surrounded by mountains, and trade is thriving. At this pace, we should get there in three days."
"Oh, we're heading to Yalda because of the mountains, huh?"
Realizing the truth behind the question she asked yesterday, Lala nodded.
She swiftly dodged Eel's reaching hand that came towards her once again.
"Tch... Well, that's how it is."
"Did you just click your tongue?"
"I might have... Anyway, I need to hunt the Walking Fish along the way, so the journey might take a bit longer."
"You're forcefully steering the conversation... By the way, what's the difference between magical beasts and animals?"
Recalling their conversation in front of the bulletin board, Lala threw another question at Eel.
"Well, simply put, animals are just regular creatures, while magical beasts are creatures with a high amount of magical power."
"And what about the Arms Bear?"
"Definitely a magical beast."
Magical beasts typically possess more magical power compared to regular animals, giving them superior survival abilities in the natural order, often reigning as predators.
"Magical beasts can endure quite a bit thanks to the magical power they possess."
"Um, what does that mean?"
"Creatures like bears with six legs or fish that can walk on land are usually magical beasts. Dragons are a good example."
"Dragons! There are dragons!?"
As the name of a creature Lala knew well came up, her blue eyes sparkled. Dragons, the absolute rulers soaring through the sky.
"Ordinary beings can't float such a massive body with thin wings, and their tough scales and dragon breath are all sustained by magical power."
"Wow, dragons... I'd really like to meet one!"
"Normally, people would want to avoid meeting one at all costs..."
Lala, with sparkling eyes and thoughts filled with the unseen dragons, had an unexpected reaction for Eel. Dragons are usually synonymous with fear. For an average person, it's common to hope to never encounter one. Even Eel, if he were to meet one, would use all his might to escape.
"Something tells me Lala won't get taken down by a dragon."
"How coincidental. I don't really think a dragon would take me down either."
Lala wore a faint smile. At least to Eel, her words didn't sound like mere boasting.
"Alright, it's almost noon."
Eel suddenly stopped and remarked. They had walked quite a distance, and the village was no longer visible. The sun was nearing its zenith.
"What about lunch?"
"We can eat the preserved food... or we could forage locally."
Saying so, Eel flashed a daring smile. The surroundings were a grassy plain. With the lush vegetation, it would be easy to conceal oneself, especially from small animals.
"All right, then Lala, you—"
"'Environmental Survey Search Environment.' ... There are a few rabbits around. 'Rotating Spear Spin Shot.' There we go, just going to retrieve them for a bit."
A ring of white light streaked through, followed by a spear of wind piercing through the grassy plain. Lala, running energetically, returned with plump rabbit ears grasped in both hands.
"What happened?"
Peering at Eel, who was left speechless, Lala wore a perplexed expression.
Eel sheathed his sword, which he had been drawing, and knelt on the ground.
"That too... Nano-machines, huh?"
"Yes, Nano-machines."
A bitter resentment escaped Eel's lips.
"Nano-machines... That's just unfair."
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