The Shaman can't become a Hero
Act 4: Two-Headed Hound
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Chapter 28: Frog of the Lake
“Ah, that’s—“
After Futaba-san hunted that snake, we ended our break, and have been advancing for a while now. And all of a sudden, the trees cleared up, and our field of view widened.
“Wow, it’s a lake”
Just as Futaba-san expressed kind of like a tourist, over there, was a lake right in the middle of the forest.
“From closer, it must be really pretty”
Reflecting white light, the glittering water surface was calm, and the pristine water was so clear you could see the bottom, I could tell that much standing back here. From up close, it should be even more illustrious. It’s a sight I could honestly compare to a tourist spot.
“I’d prefer to not get too close though. We haven’t got a clue as to what kind of aquatic Monsters are in there.”
As we’ve secured a practically infinite supply of potable water in the Fairy Square, there’s no reason for us to approach the lake.
“Let’s keep away from the lake, and go around”
There’s no other choice. With Futaba-san as vanguard, and keeping the lake to our right, we make towards circling around it.
“...Huh?”
The problem, appears all too soon.
“What happened, Momokawa-kun?”
“The Compass, it’s still pointing to the lake”
After going around the perimeter quite a bit, I nonchalantly check on the Magic Compass, to find this happening.
“Probably a coincidence. Let’s go, a bit more”
But, my naive hopes are shot down fast. The Compass continues to point to the center of the lake.
I’d have thought it was telling us to go to the opposite bank, but no matter how far we advance, it keeps pointing at the lake. Even though I can’t see any path there.
“The Note Circle going haywire... isn’t, possible right...”
Futaba-san can’t be blamed for saying that. In fact, I thought the same thing at first.
“I don’t know if the Note Circle is bugging out or not, and right now, we’ve got no way of confirming that either”
If this compass function of the Note Circle is really going funky, then our dungeon capture will come at a complete standstill right here.
“I guess, we need to steel ourselves and look into the lake after all”
This isn’t the great outdoors but a mysterious dungeon chock full of crazy gimmicks. That being the case, there’s no reason for there not to be a hidden path inside the lake. If possible I’d like there not to be some annoying mechanism that tells us to bring back a key, or a stone tablet, or Key Item, or some bullshit puzzle or riddle to find the password or something.
“Let’s look in the water, see if you find something”
And so, we put on our vigilance, and with caution, bring ourselves closer to the lake. Looking at it anew, it just looks like a beautiful lake. In the clear water, I could find schools of fish swimming around.
For a time, as if tracing back our path, we slowly circle along the lakeside.
“How is it, Futaba-san, see anything?”
“Hmm, No, not rea— Ah”
Looking as if she found something already, Futaba-san raised her voice and pointed.
“There, something like a building is under the water!”
I focus at the pointed direction... but yeah, can’t see anything. It’s not as bad that I’d need glasses, but seems like Futaba-san has me beat in the eyesight department. Or maybe it’s Berserk Body strengthening her vision.
“Kay, let’s go”
Of course, I don’t mean inside the water. We’re relocating to a place where I’ll be able to see the structure Futaba-san saw. Fortunately, it’s not too far. Or more like, it’s right where we started from, came out of the forest and arrived at the lake.
“Woah, how did I not notice something like this...”
That thing appeared so clearly inside the lake that I unconsciously leaked out such an impression.
At a glance, it looked to be a bridge sunken in the lake. I say sunken, but the depth to the path was only around 30 cm. If I can afford for these flimsy school-designated indoor shoes to get soaked inside out, then it’s an easy walk across.
The width is around that of a 1-car lane, so there’s plenty of breathing room. If we walk along normally, as long as the bridge itself doesn’t collapse, we won’t miss our footing.
This Waterline looks as if it spans the whole lake, going straight across. I can’t confirm if it really ends at the other side though.[1]
(TN: Waterline = underwater path, a uselessly coined term cos it makes things nicer. )
“Hey, are we, crossing this?”
“I don’t want to, to be honest, but this is what the Compass is saying you know...”
Apparently, this is the correct route. We just need to resolve ourselves, and march on.
Thus reluctantly, I put one foot into the water and then.
Bubbles suddenly start rising. Doesn’t look like any natural phenomenon. It was undeniable proof of something in the water, something spewing out air.
“Something’s there!? Get back!“
Futaba-san, despite her large body, does a sharp back-step, while I on the other hand, spin around in feverish haste and pathetically run like a madman. As I get my huffing body near to the forest and rest my hand on a tree, with a piercing sound of splashing water, a great shadow springs out from the lake.
“Uwawah, a frog! It’s a big frog Momokawa-kun!”
On top of the Waterline, as if blocking all traffic, exactly as Futaba-san said, there sat a big frog. Yeah, really big. I mean, this guy can probably swallow me whole, that big.
Overall, it looks to be bigger than even an Armor Bear. But it seems to have glossy skin like its Earth-born brothers, so it’s likely softer-skinned than the Armor Bear, and blades will work on it, I hope.
Its figure, short and stout, the surface of its skin was rugged with warts like a bullfrog. I can only hope it doesn’t spit any poison.
“Futaba-san, quietly. Maybe it isn’t aiming for us”
“Ehh, but this frog, it’s aiming for Momokawa-kun see!”
“Eh, really!? You can tell!”
“I can! Ehm, it’s like, it feels like that!”
Is this another of the Berserker’s powers? In the three Novice Skills, there wasn’t anything like Sense Presence, so is it like a Hidden Status or something? Anywho, right now, I should believe her words instead of doubting them.
Which would imply, that we have no choice but to fight.
“Futaba-san, up for it?”
“No problem! It’s like a bullfrog, so I bet we can eat it!”
No, I’m not asking about your cooking hobby... but yeah, Futaba-san looks like she can fight this, so let’s count that as an affirmative.
“Sic ’em Mud Doll! Entwine its escape, with weaving hair—Blackhair Bind!”
With the usual Blackhair Bind to seal movement, this time I combo with the Mud Doll in hopes that it distracts the enemy even a bit, and send it running as an advance troop.
Honestly, there’s the chance that this giant frog won’t even notice this flimsy little 30 cm Mud Doll, but a try’s a try. Crossing my fingers here—
“Uwah, that could’ve gone better...”
Picking up a branch-cum-spear from the surroundings, the brave Private Mud Doll rushed ahead. However, the giant frog was on the Waterline. The depth being just around 30 cm. The moment it charged into the lake, it went fully submerged in water, and like what happens when you put mud balls in water, the Mud Doll became a black stain and dispersed. Leaving only the spear-cum-branch bobbing up and down the water surface.
The hell, so useless. Even on my end, my connection-like thing with it popped out of existence, showing that the curse was totally extinguished.
“It’s on you Futaba-san! The bind won’t hold for that long!”
“Yeah, count on me!”
Waiting for Blackhair Bind to be invoked, a beat after the Mud Doll’s meaningless assault, Futaba-san sprang forth full power wielding her battle-axe.
Beyond her, still bulking on the bridge, sat the frog. That fixed state, was probably not because of the insignificant bundles of hair grabbing onto its log-like forelegs.
The meager amount of Blackhair aiming to seal such a large creature’s forelimbs, looked painfully unreliable.
But, for the current me, this is my maximum level of restricting ability. Speaking of, this Curse, it’s gonna levelup and get stronger, right... I’m getting some late-game anxiety here.
“Plunge into permanent swelter, and curse the body— Red Fever!”
And as I cast my final support technique, the only subtly effective Curse No.1, Futaba-san closes in enough to get into attack range.
“YaAAAAAAA!”
Raising a lovely yet gallant roar-like cry of female pitch, she aimed for the frog’s crown and swung down her axe with tremendous power.
Right then, the giant frog jumped back with agility surprising for its body size, and dodged the axe’s trajectory.
To no surprise, my Blackhair Bind had no restrictive effect at all. Or more like, can frogs even do back jumps, structurally speaking?
The hell is this, fuck! I cursed internally with various grievances, but then,
“Uwah!?”
In front of me, a wet, revoltingly pink mass of meat was closing in.
When I realized that, that was the long tongue of the giant frog that flew out from its gaping large mouth, my feeble body had already been wrapped up and captured.
“Momokawa-kun!?”
Without being able to make any form of resistance, the moment I tried to swing my spear, I was getting dragged towards the frog’s mouth. That strength reeling me in, forget someone like me, it wasn’t something a mere human could resist.
Being pulled in with what can be appropriately called monstrous strength, I cut through the air leaving being my scream, and the scenery.
There wasn’t any revolving lantern like effect with the memories of my life flashing by, just thinking “Ah, I’m dead”, I simply stared at the frog’s gaping mouth like a fool.
The large mouth was glistening with sputum, it somehow looked glowing red. As if, it were the entrance to Hell— I was about to think, when the lid on that Hell closed shut. The red, was dyed in black.
“BuwaAAAAAAA!?”
I experience the split-second feeling of slamming into cold water, and at the same time, the shock of being thrown down rolling from a bike roaring down a hill slope. Which translates as, I fell onto the Waterline with the same inertia I had while being reeled in by the frog’s tongue, and rolled around a bunch of times.
Falling in water meant that it didn’t hurt so much, but I almost drowned a bit. Slamming in there like that, I was made to understand that humans really can drown in a mere 30 cm of water, as I anguished in the stinging feeling of water invading my nostrils.
“Momokawa-kun, are you ok?”
“S-somehow...”
As I shake my drenched long-haired head like a dog, I look around the vicinity to find Futaba-san vigilantly holding her axe. And crying, Ogheghee!, the figure of Great Frog looked to be in pain, splashing out green blood from the tip of its tongue. [2]
(TN: The frog is described multiple ways, until it settles at this line as Great Frog — Dai Kaeru. )
It appeared, that Futaba-san barely made it as she severed its tongue, and prevented me from being swallowed whole. I see the logic behind it, but this girl who was a normal highschooler just a few days ago, performing such a masterful display of superhuman technique, is certainly worth merit. I don’t know what’s scarier, the vocation Berserker or her own talent.
Anyway, that saved me. That I could carefreely declare so, isn’t so surprising, since in the next moment, the battle came to a quick conclusion.
The first to move was, having recovered from the pain of its tongue severing, the Great Frog. It flew into a mad rage, and hoarsely crying out like a genuine frog, spitting saliva everywhere, it charged.
With its folded up hind legs, its jump, the identity of a frog, was not to be seen, as it stomped along on the Waterline on all 4 limbs without the slightest care.
Facing that, Futaba-san stood strong waiting, her wide back seemed as if it was declaring it would protect me. But no matter how much Futaba-san completely obliterates the average young woman’s height x mass, there’s a clear difference from the true monster class size of the Great Frog.
A scene replicating a traffic accident involving a truck crashing head on, right before the moment of such an impact, the battle-axe shone.
“Hmph!”
Exactly what kind of event that surmised, someone like me with my totally average eyesight wouldn’t catch any sight of. Truly, a speed surpassing the limits of vision.
However, I clearly witnessed the resulted attained by such an event.
The Great Frog that was rushing, was pitifully sent flying.
Looking at that frog-kun, I get a sense of pity.
“It’s the Knight’s Skill Repel!”
That’s right, it’s that very same ability we tested out when I had just made Futaba-san my ally, I tasted this same Repel. The result: it was the same as mine, as the Great Frog was now pitifully struggling belly up, lying on top of the Waterline.
Still, even against a Great Frog, it invoked at such pinpoint timing... no, that it sent the creature flying in a full-frontal attack, would be the most surprising aspect.
“YaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
And then, Futaba-san, not missing that massive opening of an animal overturned and madly flailing away, this time truly, dealt the fatal blow.
The large axe blade pierced into the soft-looking white skin covering frog’s neck, ruining the nice scenery with a shower of green blood.
“Uwah, sorry Momokawa-kun, looks like, we maybe won’t be eating this frog after all”
Tahaha, Futaba-san laughed wryly after her complete victory, and with that, the duel over the Waterline came to its end.