40.Lunch break, and my specialty?

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“…Looks like an unexpected person is starting to improve, too.”

“What?”

I looked where Walter-san was looking and saw that person a short distance away, drawing his bowstring in the midst of the bustle around him… The burn scar around his neck that still pricked my chest with guilt every time I saw it and was noticeable even from behind.

“Weiss-san…? Wait, is he overexerting himself?! We should stop him!”

“No, hold on a moment.”

It was indeed Weiss-san who was before my gaze. However, there was something wrong with him. His breathing was ragged, and he seemed to be having difficulty lifting his arms.

He was clearly overworking himself, so I tried to tell him to take a break, but Walter-san stopped me.

“Just wait and see. Maybe this time… he’ll make it.”

“Eh?”

His arm quickly rose, and he placed an arrow on the string… His movement was so natural and beautiful that the voices of the mercenaries who were buzzing around him died down, as tension enveloped the room.

Then, with what little strength he had left… he released his bowstring in a flowing motion… I saw his arrow clothed in the familiar glow of fighting spirit.

There was a tremendous sound as the arrow cut through the air at breakneck speed.

Not only did it shatter the target, but it also gouged out the trunk of the tree to which the target was attached… The arrow pierced deep into the tree, right up to the feathers.

Such power… did he just activate something like a skill in the game?

“Wha…”

The person in question was stunned and could not believe what he was seeing.

I watched the whole turn of events, and Walter walked toward him, I hurriedly moved my staff to follow him.

“Good work, recruit.”

“C-Captain?!”

While Weiss-san was astonished, Walter-san seriously observed the situation around him.

“It’s something that people often just awakened by chance. Well, in your case, as a result of you unconsciously trying to draw the bow with something other than raw muscle power to make up for the strength you lost, you awakened to better utilize the energy that flows through your entire body. As for why your arrow became so destructive… Well, let’s not get into the nitty-gritty details, shall we? Just don’t forget what it feels like to use that new technique of yours.”

“Yes, sir…”

Technique? Is that what they call skills in this world?

If I recall correctly, there was a skill called “Strike Arrow” that somewhat resembled his earlier technique.

“And by the way… ‘they’ seem to be skilled technique users, so if you want to catch up, you’ll have to work on that in the future.”

“U-Understood!”

Even I could realize that, since Reiji-san saved him from the goblins the other day, he’d developed a rivalry with him and Saul-niisama. His joy at finding a clue to catch up to the two of them was clear to see even from the back of the room.

“Now that I think about it, I still haven’t rewarded you for protecting my esteemed guest. Here, take this.”

He talked as if he just remembered about it just now, but Walter-san had been carrying a large package on his shoulder the entire time, which he took off and tossed to Weiss-san in a casual manner.

“Woah?! This thing’s heavy!”

Weiss-san almost stumbled under the package’s weight.

Did you seriously almost forget about it even if you were carrying it all this time, Walter-san?

“This is a magic bow called Dreadnought. I know it’s hard for you to master at the moment, but I’ll give it to you.”

“Magic bow?! Uh… could I draw it?”

“Go ahead.”

Weiss-san fidgeted as he unwrapped the package and opened it to reveal a large, intricately designed, yet elegant-looking white bow. At first glance, I could sense that it was an exceptional product.

“Huh? What’s happening, why can I draw this thing?”

Weiss-san’s hand stopped as he immediately tried to place an arrow on the unusually thick string. No matter how much force he put into it, it hardly seemed to move.

“One does not simply draw a magic bow with force alone. You have to let the fighting spirit spread through the bow, just like the arrow you just fired earlier.”

“If you say so… Damn, it’s still too heavy…!”

A pale green light began to leak from places on the bow, and the string was being pulled just barely, inch by inch, while greasy sweat dripped from his forehead.

But eventually, the strength left his hand, and the string slipped from his fingers, firing the arrow from his bow… The arrow pierced through the wood and disappeared deep into the forest.

“Holy sh-!”

“That’s… amazing, isn’t it?”

Weiss-san was absolutely mortified at how powerful it is, and I barely managed to squeeze out a few words. What in the world would happen if he mastered using his magic bow?

“Hahaha, you may not know how to use it yet, but when you learn to use this thing, you’ll be a valuable asset against the big monsters. Keep it up, you’ve got this.”

“…Thank you, Captain!”

Weiss-san bowed his head with tremendous force, and Walter-san returned the gesture with a wave of his hand.

“Good for you, Weiss-san.”

“Oh, yeah. I must work harder from now on…!”

“…That’s enough.”

When I came to congratulate Weiss-san, who was renewing his determination, Lenny-san suddenly cut it between us and interrupted. Her eyes were a little harsher than those of the others, and Weiss-san, who was facing me, involuntarily drew back.

“Iris-sama, you’re being too close to the opposite gender. If you let your guard down against a man in such a rowdy place like this, what would happen if he suddenly turned into a wolf and attack you? Especially one like him.”

“D-Don’t you dare slander me with your delusion!”

“That’s rich, coming from someone who assaulted her at the first meeting.”

“It was just a prank! Besides, I already said at that time that I’m not into children like her! I’m more of a… uh…”

At the mention of “children”, I involuntarily slapped myself in the chest area… I couldn’t deny it. I slumped my shoulders in disappointment.

Weiss-san suddenly trailed off at the middle of his sentence, but I couldn’t miss the very moment he shifted his gaze to Lenny-san’s powerful “mounds”, then immediately averted his eyes.

…I see. So he swung that way. Come to think of it, he did complain about me being too “scrawny” to hug before.

“A-Anyway, can’t we just drop this topic already?! Curses, why does she have to be here of all places…”

“Fine by me, but I would still advise you to be careful around this man, Iris-sama.”

Oh, no. I shouldn’t let them continue their shenanigans, else we’d all be late for lunch!

“E-Everyone must be hungry by now, right?! So let’s have lunch! Weiss-san, you’re welcome to join us, too.”

“O-Okay…”

“If Iris-sama says so, then it can’t be helped.”

After confirming that they had (reluctantly) agreed to have lunch together, I returned with them to where everyone was.

“By the way, do you two know each other?”

“…As much as I hate to admit it, he and I have the same hometown.”

“To be precise, she’s the daughter of the guy who ruled over where I used to live, dammit.”

Weiss-san didn’t expect to meet Lenny-san again, as fellow mercenaries in the same company even.

Small world, isn’t it?

The lunchbox’s contents were several kinds of sandwiches, including ham and eggs, and what resembled German fries in my original world, which was fried potatoes and salted meat. There was also pickled vegetable as side dish. In fact, it would have been nice if I could have added more green into our meal, but fresh vegetable was rare and precious in this cold region.

“What do you think…?”

“Mmm, you did well. It was tasty.”

“…Well, actually, most of the seasoning was done with auntie Miranda’s instructions, hehe…”

I giggled at Nii-sama’s compliment and confessed it while scratching my cheek. Reiji-san patted my head when he heard that.

“Still, it was you who did most of the cooking, right? I look forward to the next one.”

“Y-Yes! Let me prepare lunch for you tomorrow!”

“Thanks…”

I’m so glad that my hard work had paid off.

“Thanks for the meal! …Hey, brother, are you okay?”

“Hmm, did you just call me? Well, it’s good that they’re getting along, but…”

“So you’re thinking what I’m thinking too? Yeah, that’s rough…”

At some distance away, Zeltis-san and Philias-san were having some kind of conversation… What could they be talking about?

My eyes then happened to meet with Zeltis-san’s.

“By the way, princess.”

“Not again…”

“Oops, pardon me, Miss Iris. Anyway, since you and your friends seem to know a lot about those mutated goblins the other day, I was wondering if you could tell me something about it.”

I see, they were talking about the boss goblins we had just fought. Judging from their reaction, they seemed to be a rare occurrence in this world. In the game, it was not uncommon to see in high-level hunting grounds and such, but that part of the game didn’t seem to apply here.

“Oh, I was wondering about that myself. Something tells me you three know a lot about monsters… May I ask who knows the most?”

“That would be…”

“Iris, right?”

“M-Me?!”

Everyone’s gaze turned toward me.

Certainly, support players often have a bird’s eye view of their surroundings from the rear and are often entrusted with overall command, but…

“Then, milady, could you enlighten them about those mutated goblins’ characteristics?”

“O-Okay. First of all, I would like to say that my knowledge is based on written sources, so there may be some discrepancies with the actual situation…”

Various parts of this world are completely different from the game, and I’ll take insurance against the possibility that there are differences between the game and reality… It’d be embarrassing if I get the facts wrong. From memory, I recalled the descriptions on the strategy site and organize them in my brain.

“Ahem. So the mutated goblin, which I shall temporarily refer to as the High Goblin… it receives healing and various enhancements from the goblin sorcerers…”

As I spoke, I gradually grew excited and began to describe the enemies’ characteristics in a rambling manner with hand gestures, using my fingers as if they were a conductor’s stick.

“…While I couldn’t use it myself, it would be nice if there’s a high-level Enchanter on our side, who could dispel the enemy’s buffs… Otherwise, the most effective means would be somehow cutting through its sturdy skin and destroy it from the inside like Reiji-san and Zeltis-san did…”

As my explanation neared its end, blood gathered in my face as I realized that I got too overexcited and started talking like a teacher.

Oh god, I really went and did it, didn’t I?!

“Ahahaha, don’t be so shy, you made quite a fine teacher… Honestly, I didn’t expect you to go into so much details.”

“Gnnnnnnnn…!”

Walter-san ruffled my head again. The thought of teaching knowledge to a bunch of people who made a living by fighting made me so embarrassed that I could feel my face on fire…

“Excuse me! I want to hear about something else from you!”

“Good idea… How about the differences between the dragon species, apart from the size?”

Philias-san’s statement was followed by an additional question from Walter-san. Uh, dragons…

“Erm… Compared to lesser dragons, dragons are more intelligent and can use higher level magic… their scales can repel all kinds of magic below a certain strength… I think?”

“How do I deal with slimes’ mucus?! It ruins clothes and other fabric upon contact, what a nuisance!”

“Um… Quickly rinse it with water then squirt it lightly with alcohol, that should neutralize it-”

Starting with the widely known knowledge, the questions gradually headed toward another direction as they enthusiastically asked me one after another. We were talking about the Cyclops race at the moment.

“…Contrary to the public’s image of the Cyclops as rough and brutish, many of them are respectable craftsmen, their delicate and powerful metallurgical techniques produced very high quality weapons… It’s difficult to earn their cooperation, but if you can, you’ll get some hard-to-find, one-of-a-kind equipment.”

“I see… I’d want to meet one too. By the way, has any of you met a Cyclops before?”

At Zeltis-san’s question, Reiji-san and I turned to look at each other.

“Yeah, we did… kind of…”

“Ah, ahahaha…”

Since Reiji-san’s “Arsley” was a jet-black sword with a dragon’s eye at its core crafted by a Cyclops, it’s true that we had met him before… But the mere memories of it made me blush bright red.

When I glanced sideways to Reiji-san, he was blatantly looking away from me… I only went along with the project because it was absolutely necessary to meet the conditions required for the production.

No one, not even Saul-niisama, should hear about what happened.

…I wondered if “he” was in this world too.

“Ah, yes, respectable craftsmen, pfft…”

In the midst of all this, Walter-san remembered something and laughed with amusement… Oh, no.

“If you wish to do so, I have contacts and can make introductions… Well, he wouldn’t say no if you’re with us, milady.”

“Yeah, I know right, ahahaha…”

His words, which carried a slightly apologetic undertone, elicited a dry laugh from me. I knew it, that person existed here too… Nevertheless, it would be reassuring if we could get some help… I should be prepared to put up with a little embarrassment by that time…

This exchange of information started out lively, but as I answered the questions, other people started coming to listen, and yet the number of words around me gradually decreased.

…I felt like the purpose of this had changed. Were they testing how far I could answer the questions? I found it hard to focus if they kept focusing their gaze on me like that.

“Could you tell me about the Arachne Queen? After all, your current clothes were made from her threads.”

Walter-san looked exhausted.

A little, I tried to picture the information in my mind and assemble in my brain how to explain it…

“Yes. First of all, the threads that are in contact with the main body have a strong ability to absorb mental energy, and even a large adult will fall into a coma after 3 minutes of contact, and will die after about 10 minutes. But the victims are often unaware that they are touched by the threads, so we must stay vigilant. And the Queen doesn’t act alone, she always has escorts lurking nearby…”

“Okay, that’s enough… You got it all correct.”

For some reason, Walter-san interrupted my explanation while holding his head like he was tired. But if I didn’t tell the whole story, it would be difficult if we had to face the monster in question.

“…And while all Arachne has a humanoid half, the Queen is different in that her nervous system is spread evenly throughout the body, so in the worst case scenario where either half is destroyed, she’s still able to reproduce and recover her swarm.”

“Now that’s something I don’t know… That explains why she caught me off guard from behind after I had already decapitated one of those Queens.”

Walter-san’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, and a question mark appeared above his head. I looked around and saw that everyone in the mercenary company, including Zeltis-san and Philias-san, who had initially gathered to listen with great interest, were smiling dryly in exasperation.

“…To be honest, I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

“…What a coincidence, I’m the same. How is it even possible that you know so much about the phantasmal beasts that only eyewitnesses of them existed?”

Weiss-san and Lenny-san were already hanging their heads limply.

“U-Um, did I do something wrong…?”

Perhaps there was something wrong with my answers? Or did I get too carried away?

“N-No! Nothing like that at all! I just admire your vast knowledge!”

“Y-Yeah you’re amazing, Iris-chan! Did you guys have to remember all of that…?”

“Of course not, I didn’t expect my sister to be able to do that either… It’s just too much, even for me.”

“I should have studied that site more seriously when I still had the chance… I’d always left this kind of thing up to her.”

“I’m fairly confident about my knowledge too… but only when material drops are concerned, nya…”

Now even the players’ side was saying all kinds of stuff… Was I the only one being weird here? I had been told on a message board I happened to look at that it was natural for a support player to be able to do this, so I tried my best to remember every bit of it.

“…Well, in any case, I appreciate your knowledge. When I need your wisdom in any case, please do me a favor.”

“Y-Yes!”

Seriously, was it such a big deal? I only knew a bit too much about monsters, that’s all.

“You’re thinking it’s not that big of a deal, aren’t you?”

I felt like I had seen a jumpscare when said exactly what I was thinking right now. With one deep sigh, Walter-san turned to me with a serious face, so I straightened my posture and waited for him to speak.

“Allow me to tell you one thing. Knowledge is a treasure. Just from what I’ve just heard, there are many ways to put it to use, such as compiling it into a book or starting a new business using the knowledge. Even without your healing arts and species, that alone is enough reason for you to be targeted… Don’t be so careless about showing them off. That includes you too, tailor girl.”

“Uh… I understand?”

“Nyahaha… I copy that.”

…So I was too much of a showoff just now.

The knowledge on strategy sites is a compilation of information brought together by countless people, but when it comes to actually playing the game, it takes a tremendous effort to actually utilize said knowledge. Having the so-called “knowledge cheat” is both a blessing and a curse.

“…Well, Miriam is more solid and reliable on that front than Iris, so I think she’ll be fine.”

“Reiji-san?!”

“So be careful alright, Iris?”

“Nii-sama, you too?!”

How could they say such a terrible thing to me?! And why is everyone nodding in unison?! Argh!

As my mood had been terribly soured, I grabbed one of the sandwiches and violently bit into it.

(Author’s Note)

Iris’ narration: “I violently bit into the sandwich.”

What really happened: Iris opened her mouth as wide as possible and bit into the sandwich.