Chapter 96 Request
--Some time ago, I remembered the existence of the item [Holy Water] from "Last Brave," which was used as a countermeasure against the demon king. However, I haven't been able to find [Holy Water] in this world yet, so I tried to create something similar on my own.
To do that, I need an "experimental subject" to test its effectiveness. If I'm going to test Holy Water (provisional) to fight the demon king, then it would be better to use a monster that is as similar as possible as an experimental subject. I came up with this idea, but monsters aren't something that can be easily used as experimental subjects.
I was wondering if I could ask the Savila Knight Order or my childhood friend Lukas to capture a monster alive, but then I had an idea. No, wait, I remembered something.
(I wonder if I could ask Reinhardt-san and Diona for their cooperation...)
It's a bit of a dirty trick, but they shouldn't be able to refuse my request. I don't want to think about relationships in terms of profit and loss, but the people of Rustu owe me a debt. And we also share the same goal of defeating the demon king. If they have the time, they might be willing to help.
I decided to act on my idea right away, so on the next training day, I asked Iris.
"Hey, Iris. Are Reinhardt-san and Diona-san still in the royal capital?"
"My mentor? Yeah, they're in the royal capital!"
I was relieved to hear Iris's answer. I was worried that they might have gone back to the city of the people of Rustu to prepare for things.
"I have something to ask them, can you please connect me with them?"
For some reason, Iris nodded with a happy smile. Then, after a moment of silence, she tilted her head.
"What do you want to ask them?"
"Well, about the poison that Iris helped me with... I was wondering if we could actually capture a monster and test its effectiveness."
My words made Iris's eyes light up with a "Wow!". Being an inquisitive girl, I knew she would be interested if I talked to her.
Driven by the spirit of "Don't put off what you can do today," I was led by Iris's hand into a room at the inn after the training session that day.
When we arrived in front of the room where Reinhardt-san and the others were staying, Iris said, "I'll go in and explain the situation," and entered the room first. Then, after waiting for a few minutes, the door swung open and Iris, who had peeked out from the gap, beckoned me in.
I took a deep breath before entering. Reinhardt-san and Diona were the ones who greeted me.
"Welcome, Laura-sensei."
"Good evening. I'm so sorry for the sudden intrusion."
Reinhardt-san and Diona shook their heads as if to say not to worry. Relieved by their response, I looked at Iris. Then she gave me a thumbs up.
I understood what her gesture meant, so I got straight to the point.
"I'd like to capture a monster, but could you please give me some advice?"
"You want to capture it, not defeat it, right?"
Diona asked to confirm. I couldn't help but chuckle at her slightly troubled and confused expression and nodded vigorously.
"Yes. I'm currently making a poison to fight monsters, and I need to test its effectiveness..."
"Capture, capture..."
Then Diona lowered her head in thought. Her reaction suggests that she may not have any experience capturing monsters. --After all, there aren't many opportunities to capture monsters.
The silence fell between us as Diona remained silent.
"The surest way is to find the nest, defeat the parents, and capture the offspring alive, isn't it?"
Reinhardt-san's languid voice suddenly broke the silence.
I reflexively turned my gaze towards him, and he continued, frowning.
"Well, I'm not in the mood for it."
Find the nest of the monster, defeat the parent, and capture the child that is likely inside the nest.
Hmm, it might be the most reliable and safe method. It pains my heart as I, who have grown used to peace, feel a pang of sadness at the thought of voluntarily defeating a monster that has never attacked a human settlement.
But I can't afford to hesitate. I don't have the luxury or time to choose the methods.
As I stare at Reinhardt-san, he opens his mouth again.
"If it's a child, we don't need a special cage. ...If we want to try a powerful poison that works on the demon king, it would be more accurate to gather data from an adult beast."
It seems like he can see through my thoughts.
I give a wry smile as his gaze subtly checks my expression.
"As you say, we are in the midst of searching for a way to counter the demon king, and I want to try various things..."
"I see, I've heard your story."
Just as I start to ponder again, a sudden voice cuts in, not from Reinhardt-san, Diona, or even Iris.
When I turn around, it's the silver-haired youth and the blond youth -- Sieg-san and Leon-san -- entering the room.
"But capturing an adult beast right away is difficult, so how about starting with a young one?"
It's a precise and realistic advice.
Despite being surprised by their sudden appearance, I nod and show my agreement. Then, with a sigh mixed in, Reinhardt-san opens his mouth again.
"We haven't captured a monster alive either."
Reinhardt-san scratches his head awkwardly. It's true that capturing a monster alive is a rare occurrence. Besides, what would we do even if we did capture it alive?
That's the question. Although the conversation is starting to come together vaguely, the first step would be to find the monster's nest. I was about to formally discuss the request with Reinhardt-san, but...
"We'll help too, right Leon?"
I turn around again at Sieg-san's words coming from behind. And there, our eyes meet with a gentle gaze and narrowed amber eyes.
"Well, that's all I can do."
Leon-san replied with a smile, scratching his golden hair.
The conversation had progressed so smoothly that I was momentarily stunned, but then Diona squeezed her way between me and Sieg-san and nodded vigorously.
"I'll help too!"
It was reassuring to have Diona, with her strong light powers, and her brother Sieg-san and Leon-san on our side.
But at the same time, I felt ashamed of myself for approaching them with ulterior motives, taking advantage of their sincere willingness to help.
I bowed my head in gratitude and shook their hands.
"Let's make a plan as soon as possible. Many monsters become active as the sun sets, so let's make it early in the morning..."
--It took no time for the details to be worked out. This was mainly due to Sieg-san's careful but decisive judgment.
The time would be early in the morning. The target would be monsters that are nocturnal and sluggish in the morning. The location would be the forest near the royal capital, which Diona and the others know well. The date and time were set for the next holiday, as early as possible, but with enough time for preparation.
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