act36side

I-Is it over? Did we manage to take care of them all?

Hah... Hah... I'm beat...

Hahaha! Not bad, girlie! You've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve. I sure am a big fan of casters!

Oh... Good... They aren't at fisticuffs any longer... Good, good, as long as everyone's fine...

C'mon, let's go, I'm in a good mood today! You can have a taste of some of my corn!

Boss, you...

Hmm? ...Wait, corn...

The laughter dies on the pioneer's lips as he raises his weapon at the team of four.

*huff*... *huff*... Guess he remembered. And here I was thinking we could bury the hatchet.

Marcille raises her staff, strands of her hair rippling with magic.

Wha? Are we back at this already? Really? You were all battle buddies earlier, surely that's got to count for something, right?

Hmph!

*huff*... *huff*...

Let's not go for magic right away, Marcille.

We're all tired out from dealing with those things. There's no benefit in starting up another fight.

We'll count down from three, lower our weapons, go back the way we came, and agree not to bother each other for the night. How about that?

*cough* *cough* *cough*! How... about...... that...........?

Look, this guy's plenty sincere, alright? He's still offering even after he got a bomb chucked at him! Why not think his offer over?

Our boys are tuckered out too, boss. I don't think fighting'll do us any good neither.

...Fine. We'll get out of each other's hair for the night. Start counting.

Oh, yes, good!

Three, two, one!

Great... I can sleep soundly tonight...

Zzz...

Marcille? Marcille?

Zzz... Eh...?

Ah! Wh-What's going on now?!

Nothing.

We were thinking of going to examine the bodies of those monsters earlier, and while we're at it...

...Huh?

Well, they looked like crabs to me, so they might taste like mimics.

Ahh, the chewiness of mimics... The more you chew it, the better the flavor gets.

Just don't use my lockpicks to scoop the meat out again.

But they've got just the right shape for it!

'Bob's Gourmet Guide' says they're edible. Apparently they're delicious, as long as you can get through the shell! Don't you want to have a taste?

Absolutely not! Besides, if those villagers think we're sneaking back onto the battlefield for an ambush, we might get into another fight!

Those magic items flying all over the place were a pain to deal with, and there's still plenty of them out there! Not to mention, I'm still tired as—

Huh?

Munchmunchmunch... Huh?

Munch... Huh?

Huh???

The pioneers freeze in the middle of stuffing gloompincer legs into their mouths.

The only sound breaking the awkward silence is the crackling of the bonfire.

The sparks plik and plak amidst the flames.

Their pincers and limbs are stuffed full of flesh. No wonder they can support such heavy shells, as well as crush those magic items...

So you cut them open from the belly, then pull back their shell... I see now. Looks like you prepare these things the same way you do mimics.

Then... Oooh...

That smells amazing!

Err... Wanna try some?

...Ggh.

Laios accepts the roasted meat, hesitates for a moment, then stuffs it into his mouth.

...MMM!!!

IT'S DELICIOUS!

Haha! It's all in the technique—*cough*! Gah...

Want a taste?

...Eh? It really is chewy! So fragrant too!

Here, you guys have some as well.

Huh? For me? Thanks...

It's roasted just right, so it hasn't lost any moisture. It even <i>tastes</i> just like mimic!

Alright, just eat already.

Keep your lips shut once you're done, I've got a reputation to keep.

Not a word about tonight, you hear?

(How is it you can be at each others' throats during the day, but be eating roast gloompincer together at night?! Guess there wasn't any need for me to rush over...)

Just going for a midnight tinkle, don't mind me, haha.

Gosh darnit... C'mon over! You've given us meds, and I never forget a debt.

I'll let you guys off this time...

...No, I can't! My barn! Why'd you guys blow up my barn?!

We didn't! It was your magic items that attacked us! We had to counter their magic in self-defense!

M-Magic items? You mean my drones? They went nuts, weren't listening to me!

Huh?! But you still came out and attacked us!

Because you were gonna steal our crops!

You thought we were <i>what</i>—

Alright, alright, I've heard enough, I get what happened now! This was all one big misunderstanding!

Your drones went amok and bombed them by accident, they thought you were attacking them, then you thought they were trying to take your stuff using the Catastrophe as cover. One! Big! Misunderstanding!

So, how about we all shake hands and let bygones be bygones?

No.

Forget it.

I'm... frozen...stiff...!

How...about....we...take...care...of...them...first...?

The drone relay's busted. I took a couple of courses on equipment maintenance, let me see if there's a way to fix it...

Gah! Anyone understand Originium circuits enough to come help me out? Everyone else handle the drones, get them to use up their bombs! I can't get anything done while I'm getting pelted by them!

Go on then, we'll draw them away! Y'all work quick, ya hear!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh––––

Only thing I can do is help them remove the cover of this 'drone relay' quicker! Marcille, do you seriously have no way to handle those things? We can't ask Senshi to boil them all!

Uh... Umm... You'd need to give me time to learn a whole new system of magic...

Two more magic items flying over! Their flight speeds follow a pattern, and so do their patrol routes...

Each one carries a single bomb. Seems they fly away as soon as they drop it. Are they returning to their nest to replenish their stock?

I can't think of anything on such short notice...

I've got a plan.

What is it?

You think these items use some magic or other to know who's an enemy?

Well, they're not monsters. They don't have eyes, but since they can only throw a bomb once, they must have some way to tell friend from foe...?

Right, lad. I noticed earlier that they didn't pay any attention to a dead gloompincer.

But then I saw a live one walk into one's range by accident. At first, no response, just like the dead one, but the moment the gloompincer raised its pincers, it got a bomb thrown at it.

...So they detect 'hostility'? The moment they sense it, they attack?

Oh, I've got a way to make them use up their bombs then!

What is it?

I'll use a familiar to act as bait!

A familiar?

Nothing too complex, I just need somethings full of hostility. I can use the gloompincers from earlier!