Chapter 53
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…Is that the magic herb Mandogora?
For something that supposedly had a horde of monsters, it was far too peaceful—a scene like an illustration from a picture book—and I felt strangely unsettled.
The tops of the carrots were rounded and really did look like human faces, but with faces like this 【（–）】, eyes closed as they basked in the dappled sunlight, they were rather cute instead.
“‘All right, get ready.’”
Stefan moved his lips as he said that and began digging into the ground with the large shovel he and Raiga had carried together. The two of them silently kept digging. In no time at all, they had made a hole deep enough for me to fit into completely.
“‘The two of us will chase them over here and make them fall in. Once a lot have fallen, pray and make them calm down.’”
He conveyed this to me with gestures.
We’re going to drop those into the hole? And then I just have to pray and calm them down.
I understood the idea, so I nodded. The two of them exchanged glances, then parted the grass and leapt from behind at the circle of magic herbs sunbathing.
…At that instant, the magic herbs’ eyes snapped open.
“Waaah!”
I instinctively jumped backward.
I was wrong to think they were cute just now! Their faces are scary!
Even through my earplugs, I could feel the air trembling.
The magic herbs opened their mouths wide—probably screaming—while moving their two root-like legs and scattering in all directions. Stefan swung his shovel like a sword, and Raiga moved as if threatening them, adjusting the direction they ran and guiding them.
Thudthudthudthudthud
Kicking up clouds of dust, many of the magic herbs ran straight toward me.
Without thinking, I retreated backward.
Dududududududu
The magic herbs that came running tumbled into the hole like an avalanche.
Those that didn’t fall in ran past the side and fled into the forest, and the commotion stopped.
I peered into the hole.
The fallen magic herbs were running around in confusion inside it, crashing into each other in a chaotic swirl.
…Somehow, they look a little pitiful.
I clasped my hands and closed my eyes.
…Goddess, grant peace to those suffering in this hole.
When I opened my eyes, the magic herbs inside the hole were sitting quietly with their legs folded, eyes closed just like when they had been sunbathing earlier.
Hmm… with this expression, maybe they are cute after all…
“‘Yeah, that’s amazing. They’ve calmed down.’”
Stefan came out from the bushes and said this admiringly, and I felt proud.
“‘Usually it’s a pain having to catch them one by one while they thrash around in the hole.’”
As he said that, Stefan pulled a dagger from his waist and handed it, along with a thin wooden board, to me.
“‘Cut off the head. Quick and clean.’”
He took out his own dagger as well, grabbed one magic herb from the hole, placed it on the board, and sliced off its head—or rather, the face part—cleanly, like cutting a vegetable. Well… how should I put it, the cut surface is orange too, so… it really is a carrot. This.
“‘It’s easier when they’re calm.’”
Raiga set his knife on the ground, transformed into a wolf, and with his sharp claws, sliced off the heads cleanly.
His earplugs had come off and fallen to the ground.
“‘Keep them on. You can just use the knife.’”
“‘This is faster.’”
While the two of them were talking, I tried slicing one myself, but it was quite hard and wouldn’t cut easily. Both of them really are strong.
“‘Want to try this knife? It might be better if you move it back and forth.’”
Stefan handed me a knife with jagged teeth like a saw.
It’s amazing how he carries every kind of tool.
When I moved the knife back and forth with a grating motion, I finally managed to cut through.
At that moment, Raiga, in wolf form, twitched his nose with a sniff.
“‘Doesn’t something smell like it’s burning?’”
Stefan and I looked at each other. Now that he mentioned it… maybe.
“‘Smoke?’”
Stefan stood up, gazed into the distance, and muttered.
When I looked that way, there really was a thin white column of smoke rising.
Stefan removed his earplugs and surveyed the surroundings.
—And then,
Rustle… rustle.
There was some kind of sound coming from the bushes…
“H-help… me…”
From within the brush, a man covered in wounds crawled out.
