The hot pot had unknowingly been wiped clean. Its contents, of course, have inhabited all the stomachs of each individual. The contestants who consumed the most food, of course… not the harpies.
Each of them probably finished only about three full bowls. Certainly not for Aquina, who barely finished even a bowl. Meanwhile, Nerd, just an ordinary human with a normal proportional stomach. Well, even if that answer is as clear and clear as water, it would be better if…
Oh, forget it.
By the way…
After the sentence that Doreris threw head-on, the situation became even more awkward. The debate was not one-sided, though Nerd took the middle ground.
Even though the pot was empty, Mercy immediately returned to the two-story building that Nerd later referred to as Home. Instead, Mercy returned to placing a 50-liter dispenser containing cranberry juice and several glasses with only one hand like a five-star restaurant waitress.
From behind Mercy's smiling face who is friendly and looks 'sincere', someone certainly 'don't need' to ask how a lady did that. Lifting a 50 liter dispenser with one hand was difficult for even an iron-muscled man to do. More precisely… with one hand… and not looking the least bit tired.
The thing was, everyone, Nerd, Aquina and the three harpies included were focusing on something else instead of Muscles-
"What's wrong with you looking at me like that, hm?" #Brak! The 50-liter dispenser spun with almost no harmony.
However, the gazes of people who were a little shaken and somewhat surprised… actually could be guessed by her.
Once again, not only Nerd, they think the same.
‘Is she even a woman?’
"Why don't you guys drink, fufufu?" Mercy looked at the three harpies. "You guys don't think that ‘Is she even a woman?’ don’t you?"
It was like reading black and white writing, as clear as Mercy's guess. Nerd even doubted that Mercy had esper abilities.
The three harpies spontaneously turned their heads left and right in unison. They're nervous and about sweating.
Mercy, who was about to ask Aquina the same question, Nerd immediately took the midpoint initiation.
“Eh-ahem…! Mercy, y-you've done well,” Nerd said as he closed his eyes.
"Thank you, doctor,"
Mercy was ultimately reluctant to continue with her intention.
(Uuuuf, what a woman!) thought Nerd with little scared.
The dispenser has two spouts, front and back.
"What do you mean void creatures, Doreris?" Nerd back on topic, Doreris' frontal burst.
“HUH? O-oh… that's right. You're a newcomer, right?" Dorereis scratched her head, some red feathers fell off a bit. “Oh my… do I have to explain from the beginning?” Doreris glanced at her comrades.
With some reluctance, Doreris says, the planet has lost hope for life resources and food chains. Ever since the war with the merpeople, all the races on the mainland had lost their livelihoods, they had also lost their homes.
One by one, when the small government still existed they used interdimensional teleportation en masse. Everyone who has a little money to do a planetary shift, then they are free to leave this place.
“While who are like us? Keep holding on to this wasteland!?” the first time Doreris said in a polite tone. “And you know what's worse than all that? The mainland island is already small, we were kicked out for unproven accusations by merpeople, now this place is actually sheltered by the void race!? It's such a shame we're alive, don't you think!?” Doreris flicked her glass lightly.
"Yeah, for example, the sky is always night like now?" Avete pointed up. “Oh my, I even lost count of how long the night has been? Two years?" Avete turned to her right.
"FIVE YEARS! Ihihihihihi!” Thylopis chuckled in horror. "DAMN IT! IF THEY ARISE OUT OF THE CLOUD AGAIN, JUST GET BACK! AHAHAHAHAHA!”
“Appearing from the clouds? Void creatures?” Nerd tightened his brows.
“UH-HUH!? WEIRD HEAD WOLF ALIKE? LIKE A HUGE SPENDING MOUTH TENTACLE!”
(Tch! Tindalos!?)
Nerd fell silent.
“Well, they came in packs from the clouds. Running around like a mad dog off its leash. Some of them throw purple liquid that can melt anything!” added Avette.
“We… usually run away. We ate them before, but the meat wasn't good, Bleeeh-”
"Don't eat the Void creatures, hey!" Nerd interrupted.
"Well, we don't have any food, how about that!?" Doreris protested back.
(This is irony…. I didn't expect to meet that annoying creature again!)
Nerd dug into his thoughts. Nerd wanted to find a middle ground where it would benefit him but also save everyone. He don't know a loss. Meanwhile, Aquina was still speechless.
“Avete, Tylo, Doreris, how many mainland islands are there on this planet?”
Both hands clearly raised and showed three on their fingers, the harpies.
"Well, I don't rule out the possibility that there will be more…"
“Hoi, hoi, how can an informant be that doubtful?”
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that! We're not birds that can fly for months, jeez! After all, a planet with a majority of water like this is very risky if – if there is no guarantee for a resting place, right?” Doreris protested with logic.
“Most of us… confirmed information clearly. So far three islands with a distance that is not too far away. One island contains desert rocks with little vegetation, another has mountains with strange green valleys, and the other has thick forests. Most importantly, all islands always have a beach!” Avete held her chin.
Meanwhile, Tylophis closed her eyes as she kept filling her glass with cranberry juice. Nerd thought that this one harpy, who was a bit eccentric, might have an interesting explanation later.
"Any other races you know, Avete, Doreris?"
The two harpies looked at each other. Avete nodded and said that she knew two people. As for Doreris, about four or five people.
“Mr. Guvarn, I often call him Mister Tiger. He… lives in the rock-territory. He's a persistent uncle! He didn't even falter over a sandworm or rock crab! Well, if I were him, I wouldn't mess with sand creatures! Secondly… I know a strange woman. Well, that woman… is on this island! But… she is in a hidden place…” Avete explained with some hesitation.
(Sand worms? Hmm….)
"Freak woman you say, Avete?"
Avete took some cranberry juice and drank it slowly.
“Yeah…. Doreris and I have met her twice. And she… always saves us every time we accidentally meet. Oh! She has the head of a cactus!”
“Expensive and shiny blue robe, cool looking wand too! I don't know how that grandma got, but… I don't think she's a bad person…” Doreris nodded with firm nods.
(Hoi, wait a second….) Nerd held his chin. His eyes stared intently at the cranberry juice in his glass. (Tindalos…. Earthworms… Rock crabs…. Then cactus head? What world am I in!? Why are they gathering in this place!? I mean…. It's unreasonable!)
“With her sapphire staff the cactus lady let out a lasser!?” Nerd gasped as he brought his face closer. Nerd tone rises.
“O-oh… Y-you… know a lot huh? N-nah… not sapphire s-shh….” Avette is nervous.
“Tch, I told you cactus grandma isn't a bad person right? Why are you suddenly like this, human!?”
"Never mind, just answer!" Nerds insisted.
Doreris was surprised and nervous too.
“Like you said! The wand shoots lasers! Well, the laser hit the plant trying to wrap around our bodies!”
"A plant? What plant, Doreris?”
“They have lots of green tentacles! O-oh what else?" Doreris turned to Avete.
“F-flower! Well, there it is! The flowers are purple, the shape is like a trumpet, the leaves are like hearts! T-That time… we were the ones picking the flowers, and for some reason I suddenly woke up at grandma's cactus place!”
(Morning glory…. At least, this is what I don't like the most. Why…do I feel bad?)
Nerd was very annoyed by what the harpies were saying. Those things might have something to do with his last expedition or even slightly far before that. Nerd have a bit of a hard time accepting that fact. In fact, he is indeed on a planet somewhere in the middle of nowhere. In fact, it really really bothered him just now.
Where several void creatures gathered together, that was where the worry arose.
“Hey, Human… Nerd. Why are you so shocked?" asked Aquina.
“Well, this… is quite hard to accept. Some time ago, not too long ago…. We went on a long expedition. Constellar level expedition. Well, this planet was discovered by chance when we threw a tool in the void to search for nearby planets. The thing is, we… that time just happened to stop at a planet… which is quite dangerous!”
“Ohh? That is interesting!" Doreris supported her head with her hands. She seemed enthusiastic about waiting for Nerd's story.
“At first, I thought so! But… the deeper we explored… we realized it was a trap! E-especially… it has been a part of our planetary research for a long time…,” Nerd paused as he recalled, “Ah! An hourglass with a strange ornament! There it is! Every time there is that thing, then a random catastrophe will appear!”
"Hourglass?"
Through the membranes of its fin scales, a small pouch begins to open. Aquina showed something she took from her pocket.
"You mean like this?"
An hourglass is exactly what a nerd would say. Have two tubes in the middle twisted together and connected to each other. It's just that, the ornaments are blue and the contents are water. An Hourglass.
(Gosh…. No… that-can’t-b-be-happen…) Nerd widened when he saw the ancient clock. Nerd can't stop thinking that maybe in the future there will be a big ordeal waiting for him.
“HEY, THAT’S A COOL WATCH! GIVE IT TO ME!" Tylophis, who had been silent before, now answered quickly.
"Hey, watch out!" Aquina warned.
She was turning, looking, and nodding as she examining and held the ancient clock.
"NO MISTAKE, HIHIHI! I EVER SEE THIS WATCH! UNCLE FLOUNDER, IN THE SWAMP, SAYS IF YOU HAVE THIS WATCH, YOU HAVE TO FIND ONE MUCH BIGGER AND DESTROY IT!! KIKIKIKI!”
(Swamps? I thought Avete said earlier… Desert rocks… mountains with green valleys… then dense forests. As expected, the eccentric Tylophis has something interesting on her mind. I should be able to earn her trust. Well, even if I don't have experience with psychopaths and crazy people with killer vibes though….)
ns 15.158.61.12da2
