Chapter 28: Chasing the Deer (and Being Chased by It)
The Crystal Deer was famous for its crystal-like antlers; otherwise, its appearance and shape were no different from an ordinary deer.
But you must not mistake its antlers for simple, pretty decorations. As everyone knows, crystal is not a conductor. It is dense and has high hardness, and is naturally immune to all attributes of magic... except for high-level magic.
"Therefore, Megumin is not allowed to use magic for this quest. Got it?" Kobayashi said, tapping the head of the eager-to-try explosion loli.
"Tch."
Megumin clicked her tongue in annoyance. She always wanted to blow up hard things, as if she were constantly trying to prove that her magic was the strongest. However, this quest was to collect the antlers. If they were blown up, the quest would naturally fail.
"High-level magic is ineffective, and Explosion magic can't be used. So this time, it's a close-quarters battle. The main goal is capture or a quick kill. Is that okay?"
"Roger!" x4
Afterward, Kobayashi began to assign tasks.
The arrangement was similar to before. Darkness would focus on defense and prevent the Crystal Deer from escaping. Kobayashi would coordinate with her and bear the burden of capturing or killing it. Aqua would provide buffs and resurrection magic for everyone. And Satou Kazuma, who lacked attack power, would protect the magic-less Megumin.
It was a relatively reasonable arrangement.
"That being said, why not set a trap?" Kazuma was more inclined to wait for his prey to fall into a trap, which was in line with his personality.
"That would take too much time. The input and reward are not proportional."
But more importantly.
"Come on, there are so many of us. It's just a deer with magic immunity. Wouldn't it be disgraceful to wait for several days for it to fall into a trap?"
"True."
Kazuma nodded, then said with a smile, "Well, in any case, we still have you, Kobayashi-senpai. It should be fine, right?"
RyuZU, however, asked curiously, "Master Kobayashi, why are you not using me?"
"What?"
"If you use me, the quest can be finished in just one second. With such a convenient and fast method, there is no need for you to take risks, Master Kobayashi."
"Because I want to grow."
Kobayashi stated his reason for refusing the time-saving and labor-saving option.
"If I keep going on like this, I'll likely become a good-for-nothing who wants to live as easily as possible while looking down on life. In the end, I'll become a hopeless man who only drinks and doesn't work, complaining that 'it's not me, it's the world's fault,' while throwing wine bottles at you, RyuZU, and telling you to go out and earn money."
"What, what? Where is such a man?!"
Hearing this, Darkness suddenly leaned in, her cheeks flushed and panting, looking extremely eager.
This scared Kobayashi, who pushed the perverted knight's face away to keep her from getting close.
Good grief! You're completely impervious to reason! Whose hands are you going to be ruined by in the future?!
After pushing the perverted knight away, Kobayashi instructed RyuZU, "In summary, for the sake of the party's growth, please do not intervene, RyuZU. Is that okay?"
"Yes, if you say so, Master Kobayashi."
RyuZU agreed in a low voice, but then said with a dark look in her eyes and a sharp tongue, "Clearly, if you were in danger, Master Kobayashi, you would just have to scream like a girl, and as your attendant, I would surely come to your rescue. Wouldn't it be nice to be a useless wreck who only depends on me?"
Wow... So she has a latent yandere, sharp-tongued attribute?
Feeling that continuing this conversation would be a very bad idea, Kobayashi wisely changed the subject.
"Ahem, prepare for battle!"
"Yeah!" x4
The group began to get ready.
Look, on the plains, there is a lone Crystal Deer. It's rare to see one at this time of year; it's a very precious monster.
Remove the antlers, and you can eat it. The meat is tender, sinewy, and springy, and the experience points gained are five times that of a cabbage!
"Those antlers would be great! I'm going in!"
Before Kobayashi could even give the order, Darkness charged forward with a flushed face.
"Wait... you idiot!"
Kazuma tried to grab her but failed. This was also a regular occurrence. Kobayashi was already used to it.
"Kazuma-kun, I'm counting on you for backup."
With that, he also charged forward.
The Crystal Deer was much harder to deal with than imagined. Not only was it strong, but it was also very agile. The most annoying part was its large, hard antlers, which could block every attack. Coupled with Darkness's constant desire to engage in a contest of strength, it inadvertently created trouble and added a burden for Kobayashi, leading to a stalemate.
Aqua cheered loudly from the side, while Kazuma watched with great anger.
"That perverted knight, why is she always so obsessed with a contest of strength? Doesn't she know she's in the way? To the left, go to the left, give him an opening to attack! Ah, how can she be so stupid! This is infuriating!"
He had the air of an armchair general, powerless himself but criticizing from the sidelines.
Just then, another Crystal Deer appeared in their field of vision. It seemed to be a scout sent by the herd to find its lost companion. Upon seeing the Crystal Deer on the plain, it became visibly agitated.
"Huh? There's another one?"
Kazuma sensed trouble. One deer was already a handful; another one would definitely change the course of the battle.
No, I have to help!
Kazuma remembered Kobayashi's instructions. He gritted his teeth and said to Megumin, "I'm going to help. Megumin, you and Aqua should run if things look bad!"
"Okay, Kazuma. You can go to your death with peace of mind," Megumin said with a nod.
Kazuma was instantly speechless. "...You meant to say 'win a glorious victory,' right?"
"No, I meant go to your death."
"How little faith do you have in me?!"
Kazuma wanted to get angry, but there was no time to fool around with her now.
He pulled out his dagger, used his [Stealth] skill, and charged towards the other Crystal Deer. His goal was not to kill it, but to hold it off. As long as he could wait for Kobayashi and the others to deal with the other deer, this one would be no problem.
However, he had miscalculated their respective speeds.
A Crystal Deer's running speed was 90 km/h, comparable to a small car speeding down the highway, and it could run for hours without getting tired.
"Not good, not good, not good! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!"
The moment their eyes met, Kazuma knew he could never outrun the Crystal Deer. He never thought that his attempt to help would instead turn him into a burden.
Kazuma ran forward with all his might, even using basic wind magic to accelerate, his face red as he used every last ounce of his strength. But he still couldn't outrun the Crystal Deer.
Watching the antlers getting closer and closer, Kazuma felt that his backside was in grave danger. If he didn't call for help soon, he would likely be sent to heaven in ecstasy! In every sense of the word!
"Teammates! Where are my teammates?! A little help here!"
Kazuma screamed for help at the top of his lungs. The scene was once chaotic, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was chasing the deer (and being chased by it) in the central plains.
Kobayashi didn't hear him; he was focused on dealing with the combination of Darkness and the Crystal Deer. At some point, Darkness had become one with the monster, making it impossible for him to make a move. And Aqua was no help.
"I have no choice. I'll have to do it myself," Megumin said, flicking her cape back, her eyes turning crimson. "Let me, the strongest Explosion mage, help you!"
Then, she began to chant.
"O, wayward spirits that surround me, o, roaring flesh of the abyss! Now, become a part of the crimson wave! Pierce through!
—Explosion!!!"
BOOM!
A nuke carpet-bombed the ground!
The Crystal Deer chasing Kazuma was instantly blown sky-high. And Kazuma, who was close to it, naturally could not escape the fate of being blown up.
He went up to heaven with it.
Afterward, Kobayashi apologized to Kazuma.
"Sorry, it was my negligence. I didn't expect there to be another Crystal Deer."
"It's fine, it's fine. As long as the quest is complete."
Kazuma, who had been smoothly resurrected by Aqua, waved his hand to show he didn't mind. Although the outcome was a bit lame, he had still completed his mission brilliantly and was a little proud of himself.
"Then, please accept this."
"...A dagger?"
Placed before him was the reward for this quest, the Shadow Dagger.
Kobayashi nodded. "Originally, I was going to give you this dagger because you've been working so hard lately. But now, it seems more like compensation. I'm sorry, it was because of my negligence."
"Kobayashi-senpai..."
It was he who had misjudged their strength difference, yet Kobayashi-senpai still took the blame on himself.
Kazuma was deeply moved.
If I were a girl, I would definitely marry him!
And across from him, Kobayashi unconsciously rubbed his arms, feeling a malicious gaze on him that made him uncomfortable.