317. As an Anego

 

* * *

 

Zaan…… Zazaan.

 

The first thing I heard was the sound of waves.

Next, a sense of discomfort.

Today, I had been riding on Zaratopu’s head the whole time.

So I had been constantly feeling the sensation of swaying up and down on the waves.

I don’t feel that now.

It’s a bit nauseating.

I open my eyes with a flicker.

Then, what spreads across my entire vision is the evening sky.

The clouds flowing by are dyed bright red, and in the darkening sky, stars are starting to twinkle little by little.

The wind blows with a whoosh.

The long grass around me sways and caresses my cheek.

“……Where is this?”

Where is it?

I try to get up and check.

But.

“Hmm……?”

My body won’t move.

My whole body is terribly sluggish, and I can’t put any strength into it.

Moreover, my whole body hurts.

Especially my side hurts.

It hurts like hell.

<Mmm…… mmm. Good morning, Emi……>

Here, Extra-sama also regains consciousness.

Good morning, Extra-sama.

<This place is……>

I’m not sure either.

Probably on land.

Or in heaven.

<There is no heaven in this world…… or hell.  If you die, everyone, with a few exceptions, reincarnates almost without rest.>

Well, even  if there was a heaven, I haven’t lived the kind of life where I could go to such a place……

<That’s true……>

Huh, you agree with that……

While exchanging a few words with Extra-sama, I try my best to move my body.

But it doesn’t work well.

Stirring and turning over is the best I can do.

And it hurts all over every time I move a little.

<The reason you can’t move your body is because, in addition to the fatigue of your whole body, your magical power is running low. It was a series of battles…… You did a lot of reckless fighting, good work, Emi.>

Ah, that’s right, a series of battles.

The giant shrimp and the giant squid.

And what happened to that?

The barnacle.

I wonder  if I was able to defeat the barnacle?

At the end, I was completely in the role of a bullet.

Because I was covered in 【Black Arms】 all over my body, I couldn’t accurately grasp what was happening outside.

I felt like I crushed something, but was that the barnacle?

I turned into a bullet, was fired, crushed something…… and fell into the sea with a splash.

I lost consciousness there.

I don’t have any memories after that.

“……Zaratopu.”

At times like this, I should ask my underling.

I’m lying on a clearly mossy and grassy, fluffy spot on land.

This must be his arrangement.

He’s probably nearby.

“Zaratopu!”

I called out his name with all my might.

 

Zabaa.

 

I can’t see the surroundings well because I’m lying down, but I hear the sound of splashing water from the direction my feet are pointing.

And the sun is blocked, creating a shadow.

 

<<<Anego! You’re awake!>>>

 

After a delightful 【Telepathy】 reaches me, Zaratopu stretches his long neck and peeks at me from above.

At that moment.

 

Gugyuuuuuu……

 

My stomach growls loudly.

“Zaratopu.”

 

<<<Yes!>>>

 

“You…… look quite delicious……”

 

<<<H-Hieee! Please stop joking!>>>

 

“Hahaha.”

……Yeah, a joke, a joke.

I have reason, after all.

I can endure it, after all.

 

TL Note: If I am not wrong, this might be the first time Emi has ever laughed?

 

* * *

 

“I see…… we were able to defeat that barnacle……”

Then, a few minutes later.

I was listening to Zaratopu about what happened before and after I lost consciousness.

The bullet I transformed into definitely shattered that arrogant barnacle’s shell, and at that moment, the water giant lost its form and returned to being just seawater.

 

<<<Well, I didn’t see its corpse, though.>>>

 

“Huh?”

 

<<<I rushed to pick you up, Anego. You were floating face down on the water surface…… I thought you were dead, and I panicked! Then, I went back to the original sea area to retrieve the giant shrimp and squid, but by that time, there were no corpses anywhere.>>>

 

“…………”

Hmm…… no corpse, huh?

……Is that okay?

Isn’t that the pattern where it’s actually alive and evolves into an even more powerful enemy later to seek revenge?

<It’s fine! There’s no way a barnacle can live after losing its shell! Ufufu!>

No, Extra-sama, isn’t that a flag?

Is it really okay?

Are you sure it’s okay?

<Well, I don’t know for sure.>

Eeeh!?

<At least it’s not a problem we can do anything about by thinking about it now. Emi, what you should be doing now is not worrying about such things, but eating a lot and recovering your strength.>

“…………”

Well, that’s true, but.

I silently sink my teeth into the chunk of giant squid that Zaratopu has bitten off for me.

As mentioned in the earlier conversation, Zaratopu secured the corpses of the giant shrimp and squid.

And it dragged them all the way here…… this cape where I met Zaratopu…… I’m grateful.

So now, it’s dinnertime while listening to Zaratopu’s report.

I was going to have them for lunch, but it took longer than I expected.

I sit somehow balancing my still staggering body and chew on the giant squid’s flesh.

The sometimes too strong elasticity hurts my wounds, but the rich flavor and magical power.

It’s a wonderful taste.

When I gulp it down, it quickly dissolves in my stomach and…… disappears somewhere.

It doesn’t accumulate in my stomach.

This isn’t the giant squid’s fault, but a problem with my body.

The food that dissolves in my stomach, much of it actually disappears, so it’s troublesome that my stomach doesn’t easily get full.

It was originally like that, but recently, that tendency has been gradually getting stronger.

So where did the disappeared food go?

Extra-sama says it’s converted into magical power and expanding my soul or something, but is that true?

I’m not sure.

Well, whatever.

The important thing is that I can still continue eating this delicious giant squid.

I quickly finish eating the chunk of giant squid that was about the size of my body and demand seconds from Zaratopu with my gaze.

 

<<<Yes, yes. Have plenty more.>>>

 

Zaratopu, while making a motherly remark, temporarily sinks into the sea and bites off another chunk of giant squid flesh and brings it to me.

By the way, I haven’t touched the giant shrimp yet.

Once my stamina and magical power have recovered a bit more, I plan to start crushing the shell and eating it.

 

<<<But Anego, you really eat a lot, don’t you…… Doesn’t eating so much make you feel sick?>>>

 

“There’s no way it would.”

 

<<<Hee…… Humans are amazing……>>>

 

<Zaratopu…… Emi is special. You shouldn’t misunderstand……>

Extra-sama makes a comment that doesn’t reach.

I’m busy eating right now, so I don’t particularly make any comments.

 

<<<I also nibble on it from time to time, and at this rate, even though the shrimp and squid are so big, they might disappear in no time!>>>

 

“…………”

I think while munching.

Indeed, that’s right.

Even these delicious seafood will be eaten up in 3 days.

……3 days, huh?

<It will rot.>

It will rot, right?

<Since they contain a lot of magical power, they will last longer than usual, but even so, they will definitely rot.>

It might be good for a Great Sea Serpent, but I don’t want to eat rotten shrimp and squid.

I could eat them, though.

“Hmm.”

I put my hand on my chin and think.

This giant shrimp and giant squid…… is there any way to make effective use of them?

“…………”

Think.

Think.

Think.

“…………Ah.”

I.

Remembered something important.

 

<<<What’s wrong?>>>

 

While staring at Zaratopu, who was wriggling and tilting his head playfully, I somehow managed to stand up unsteadily and said what I had to say as an Anego.

“Zaratopu…… let’s go apologize.”