Chapter 490: Those Who Obstruct and Those Who Advance 1<ol><li><strong> Those Who Obstruct and Those Who Advance 1</strong></li></ol>
* * *
Early morning, two dayster.
The sky has started to brighten, but the sun hasn’t yet risen from beyond the horizon of the Great Grasnd of Beginnings, and the surroundings are dim.
Looking up, the stars twinkle like jewels.
At that time of day.
A group of people is walking straight towards the center of the grasnd, kicking the dew-covered grass.
Kodorokizo ore, that should be sleeping in the Great Grasnd of Beginnings…
It’s the survey team, led by the young lord, Viscount Kmaruyu Yaki First, who has started working to confirm its existence.
Leading the group is Kmaruyu.
Carrying arge backpack filled with various survey tools he has been using since his days as a researcher, he walks silently, with a sullen expression on his face.
Today, he is wearing the travel clothes he used to wear for fieldwork.
His steps are steady, and he looks like a seasoned traveler.
Second in line is Saint Ad Bahns, their guard, wearing a white robe.
Although she’s the only woman in the group, and looks the most delicate andcking in physical strength, she’s actually the most capable fighter.
At the survey team meeting yesterday, she was looked down upon and ridiculed by the three brothers, who will be describedter, because of her appearance, but she immediately demonstrated her strength by beating them up.
And following the two of them are the three brothers dispatched from the ‘Chakigit Geological Survey’.
They’re triplets—Googydan, Googyden, and Googydon—all short, muscr, and simr in appearance.
They’re go-getters who love money and digging more than anything else, but they’re also brave and capable fighters, unafraid to challenge any dangerous area.
And they’re Kmaruyu’srades from his days as a researcher.
Also, after being thoroughly beaten yesterday because of the overwhelming difference in strength, they started calling Saint Ad ‘Anego’—out of respect.
Now, their journey was very smooth until about an hour after their lunch break.
After all, with the exception of the few subspecies of grasnd wolves, the only monsters that inhabit the Great Grasnd of Beginnings are mostly Stone Head Rabbits.
It’s safe.
And the surface is mostly t, and easy to walk on, although they asionally trip over the grass.
So in a short time, less than half a day, they had traversed the rabbit hunting area for novice adventurers, and were about to enter the forbidden depths of the Great Grasnd of Beginnings.
* * *
“Sensei, are we there yet? Peace is a good thing, but this boring pic is making me sleepy.”
Googydan, the eldest of the triplets dispatched from the ‘Chakigit Geological Survey’, yawned, and spoke to Kmaruyu, who had stopped in front of them, checking the map, thepass, and the shape of the Haigagadan mountain range in the distance.
“…Not yet. ording to my predictions, the Kodorokizo Belt is a little further ahead. Bear with me for a while longer.”
“Geez…”
“Alright, alright.”
“Goooot it.”
The three brothers repliedzily to Kmaruyu, who said that curtly, his eyes on the map.
Kmaruyu and the three brothers are close enough to be casual with each other.
“…Everyone, please be more alert. It’s true that the monsters around here are weak… but we don’t know when we might be attacked.”
But Saint Ad, pouting, her expression cute for business, cautioned the three brothers.
By ‘attacked’, of course, she means an attack from Shimegamamo.
That barbarian woman—she’ll definitely do something.
If they’re careless or overconfident, they might be caught off guard.
As their bodyguard, it’s a natural concern.
“Yes! Understood, Anego!”
“We’ll be more careful, Anego!”
“Sorry, Anego!”
The three brothers, reprimanded, suddenly straightened their backs and started speaking clearly.
“If ites down to it, I’ll blow any enemy away with this magic shovel!”
“No, no, I’ll blow them away with this magic pickaxe!”
“Or, I’ll blow them away with this magic measuring tape!”
They readied their weapons, and started looking around vigntly, with serious expressions on their faces.
“You guys…”
Kmaruyu watched them, dumbfounded.
“Hey, are you guys messing around?”
Saint Ad, smiling, punched the three brothers in the stomach, quickly and repeatedly.
And then, it was at that moment.
“…Hmm!?”
Kmaruyu, hearing the sound of something running towards them—<em>Daka-daka</em>—from behind, hurriedly turned around.
And then, what he saw was—
A woman with reddish-brown hair, riding a grasnd wolf the size of a horse, running straight towards them from beyond the horizon.
In other words… Shimegamamo!
“She’s here…!”
Kmaruyu, seeing her, shuddered, gritted his teeth, and broke out in a cold sweat!
“”Hahaha! No surprise attack or anything?! You’re really…underestimating meeee!!”
Saint Adughed ferociously!
“““…………”””
The three brothers, silently recovering from the stomach punches, gripped their weapons again.
<em>Daka-daka, daka-daka, zazah!!</em>
Therge wolf, carrying Shimegamamo, came to a sudden stop, a few meters away from Kmaruyu and the others.
And as soon as Shimegamamo jumped off its back—
“KYAIN!!”
The wolf, letting out a pathetic scream like a frightened puppy, ran away somewhere in the grasnd.
It seems that it’s not Shimegamamo’s loyal hound.
“Brother-inw.”
Now, Shimegamamo, standing before the five of them—
Smiled and said in a gentle voice, looking at Kmaruyu.
“Beyond this point is forbidden ground. ording to my n’s rules, we cannot allow anyone but our n to pass… So, go back.”
“I refuse!”
But Kmaruyu replied.
“Why?”
Shimegamamo tilted her head, smiling wryly.
But contrary to her gentle expression, her 【Intimidation】 is gradually increasing.
Kmaruyu desperately resisted the urge to kneel, gritted his teeth, and shouted!
“Because it’s necessary—to protect my people!”
“To protect your people… huh?”
Shimegamamo, looking at Kmaruyu, who dered that without sumbing to her 【Intimidation】, squinted, her eyes dazzling, yet somehow lonely, and muttered—
“My husband, Wakiteryu, also died saying the same thing…”
“What!?
Kmaruyu didn’t miss those words!
His brother’s death.
Kmaruyu doesn’t know the truth about it.
Because his father, who should have told him, fell ill.
“Did youy a hand on my brother… Shimegamamo!!”
But if he thinks about it, it makes sense!
Kmaruyu had repeatedly suggested to his father, in letters, to develop the Great Grasnd of Beginnings.
His father never agreed, but—
…What if his brother read those letters and tried to do something?
It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a conflict with this crazy barbarian!
And if his father was bound by his ties to this barbarian, he would have tried to hide the truth!
Everything makes sense!
Kmaruyu’s face flushed red, and his clenched fists trembled!
But Shimegamamo didn’t even care about Kmaruyu’s intense anger.
She just casually said to Kmaruyu—
“I was the one who gave him a merciful death.”
And she clearly testified—to that!
“““YOU BITCHーーー!!!”””
The ones who screamed furiously, hearing those words, weren’t Kmaruyu… but the triplets—Googydan, Googyden, and Googydon!
They have known Kmaruyu for a long time, and they consider him their friend!
And they’re hot-blooded, rough men!
They couldn’t just stand there, knowing that the enemy of their friend’s family is right in front of them!
The three brothers immediately rushed forward, wielding their magic shovel, magic pickaxe, and magic measuring tape, surrounding Shimegamamo, forming a deadly formation!
But…!
“…………”
Shimegamamo, her expression turning cold, nced at the three brothers, and—
Without panicking at all.
“You worthless insects can just die.”
She said that, emotionlessly, and—
<em>DON!</em>
Stomped on the ground with her right foot!
“““!?”””
And the next moment!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
The surrounding grass rustled… and started wrapping around the three brothers’ legs!