Translator: P411

Editor: Xia

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 12 – A Revenge?

We went through the gap to avoid getting entangled in the web’s threads, and this time we headed in a different direction. 

I had no idea where the ‘Jumping Snakes’ were located, so I followed along as Vidello-san led me into the forest. 

On the way, we drank stamina potions and ate the bread I had bought from a street stall and brought in my bag, proceeding further into the forest to help with digestion.

Our date today depended mainly on stamina. If we ran out of stamina, it would all be over.¹ Sorry, I was still going through puberty. I was still restraining myself, but that only made me think about it even more!

While scattering any wolves and rabbits that approached us along the way, we finally arrived at the snake-inhabited area that Vidello-san mentioned. I had heard that there were quite a lot of people who were being attacked and poisoned by the Jumping Snakes here and returned to the city on the verge of death. That’s why the gatekeeper said it was essential to carry antidotes. Even now, Vidello-san’s waist pouch must have them, antidotes and high-potions. From what I heard while we were walking, it seemed like gatekeepers were provided with potions and other medicine by the government, but the provisions given were quite inferior. If there were sensible  commanding officers, such as Vidello-san’s current superior, they would secretly procure supplies from the guild or Crash’s shop. They had been cleaning bottles of those used, inferior products and requesting for Crash to make new ones with those empty bottles. Good job!

For once, I want them to use the potions I made. I was happy just thinking about them using what I made, but now that I think of it, I’ve totally forgotten the fact that I’ve been using generic bottles for making potions… Should I try making my own sign instead? Like an [ M ] sign on the bottle.² …Oh well, it would end up as ‘Mac’ anyway, so let’s stop this. Yuuta would probably just make fun of me for the idea and ask me if I was planning to put a smiley on it as well.

We slowed down our pace a bit and quickly walked to a tree laden with ivy. It seemed like we didn’t need to search for the Jumping Snakes, as they started attacking on their own.

The moment I heard a sudden rustle, a snake that was hissing in the branches above jumped out at me. 

“Wah!”

During my moment of surprise, the snake fell prey to Vidello-san’s sword. After defeating the snake, he took a quick look into his pouch, just as I had earlier. 

“This snake dropped [ Venomous Snake Skin ]. Is this the one?”

“Ah no, what I want is [ Venom Duct ], which is the alchemical reagent. That’s why they won’t drop if I don’t defeat them myself. But I already know the pattern to attack those snakes, so would it be alright for you to deal with the ones attacking us?”

“I understand. If something happens, just tell me right away.”

“Thank you-u!”

 While I was still talking, the snakes started attacking one by one. This could probably wipe us out. Now that I thought about it, why had that person passed through this dangerous stretch of road? That person who arrived at the city on the verge of death. 

I supposed it because the main road was well-maintained, so there was no need to take a detour. 

Even so, NPCs could also have drops placed directly in their bag. There was no dismantling process involved, so I was wondering how it was done, but one of the mysteries was solved now. 

While I pondered, the snakes continued to rain down from the tree. If I couldn’t kill them in one blow, it was a situation where I would get easily surrounded for sure. Then, I would get bitten all over and respawn back at the checkpoint³ with a Gorgon-like head… It was giving me goosebumps just thinking about it. So many wiggling things… scary. 

In my mind, I was mentally screaming, “Gyaa—! Shit—! Noo—!” when, while I was mindlessly swinging my sword, a snake jumped and impaled itself on my sword with perfect precision. What?⁴

This, this must be…

I carried out the plan that I suddenly thought of. 

Whenever a snake was about to appear, there would be a rustling sound from its location, so should I just point my sword in that direction?

Just when I pointed my sword towards the direction the rustling sound came from, it really panned out like I thought, a snake skewer. This looked interesting. I thought I was about to be bitten if I was a little late to raise my sword, but I more or less levelled up, so as my reaction speed got faster, the snakes weren’t giving me a hard time at all.

Well, at the very least, I didn’t want to encounter monsters that I had to struggle to such an extent in the forest of the third city, Tre. 

Now, it was getting more and more interesting, and I was sure I probably looked like a scoundrel that could sour even a century-old love, as I kept laughing while recklessly making skewers out of the snakes one by one.⁵ When I took a glance at Vidello-san, he was conducting himself gracefully and skillfully, attacking the monsters properly with his sword. Was I the only one who looked like a bad guy? For help, even Vidello-san was desperately dodging the monsters, so I didn’t think he could spare a moment to look my way. 

Eventually, it seemed like there were not many snakes left⁶, as we had been killing them to the extent we couldn’t count the numbers anymore, so the frequency of those snakes falling from the trees had gradually decreased.

I lowered my guard, expecting that the fight was going to be over soon.

Thinking that it would be bad if I didn’t get the materials I wanted, I took a glance at my inventory, and that was my mistake. A snake came at me, and as I wasn’t able to point my sword at it in time, it bit my arm. Ow!

“Mac!”

In a panic, Vidello-san cut and threw the snake away that was biting my arm. 

The site where it bit me started to discolor, and I determined that I had been poisoned. I had to take out an antidote, but first, I dealt with those snakes, before finally moving to a spot clear of snakes. 

I carefully checked my inventory. There it was: the [ Venom Duct ]. My inventory was nearly full, mostly from the snake drops. I didn’t need this many. 

I relaxed a little when I left the marsh. At that instant, I became dizzy. 

Vidello-san supported my swaying body.

“Tell me first if you’ve been poisoned!”

“Sorry… but thank you. I’ll take my cure potion out now…”

Before I could finish speaking, Vidello-san took out an antidote from his own pouch and opened the lid.

Eh?

Why are you holding it in your mouth, Vidello-san?

And, why are you kissing me in a place like this, Vidello-san?⁷

AAHHH—… A bitter antidote was poured into my mouth. This— did this mean that? Was this a revenge for that time when I fed him a high-potion mouth-to-mouth?

It’s so bitter… But when I thought about how Vidello-san, who wasn’t poisoned at all, was also tasting this bitterness, should I say I felt apologetic, or should I say it didn’t matter how it tasted bitter or not… Vidello-san’s tongue felt so good…

“Ah……mm……”

The dizziness from the venom started to clear up, but a different kind of dizziness was attacking me instead. 

This place was a field, right? There was a good chance that someone would see us. 

When I tapped Vidello-san’s arm as he was obviously tasting my tongue in the middle of his little revenge session, he separated his lips from mine, as if he suddenly realized what he was doing. 

“Sorry. Blood rushed to my head…”

Blood rushed to his head? Was he angry? Was Vidello-san really angry?! 

“Because Mac was being so reckless.”

“Ah, ehm, I’m sorry…..”

Certainly, there were almost no chances for him to shine back there. I apologized to him honestly, but he replied, “It’s not that,” his expression a little bitter

“I already knew that you’re stronger than I expected, but your fighting style is too reckless… It worries me, but I can’t be there with you every time, so I’m angry at myself for that. More than anyone else, I want to protect you….”

“Vidello-san……”

For Vidello-san, who was wearing a bitter smile, to say he didn’t mean to make me apologize… I couldn’t help but cling to him tightly.

How should I say this? I had been thinking about this for a while now, but Vidello-san really was such a good man that it was hurting my heart. That such a great person like him kept loving me, wasn’t it a miracle? I was so happy that it didn’t matter to me that we were both the same sex. 

“Then, let’s make the pesticide as quickly as we can and bring it to Kyle’s place.”

“Yes!”

In order to distract me, Vidello-san brought our original objective back up, but I panicked. I had almost forgotten about what kind of quest I was doing. There wasn’t a moment to lose. Luckily, it hadn’t been a day yet, since I took on the quest yesterday evening. If I started mixing pesticide immediately, at least there wouldn’t be a case of the whole plantation withering. 

With all our might, we started running as fast as we could back to my workshop.