62. The Monster That Summons Monsters and the Transferees Who Protect the City
The caravan passed through the gates of the city walls, built from white stone, and entered the streets. The sun was still high in the sky.
We headed straight for the Mateo Merchant Company's branch in the city.
The wandering folk had planned to camp outside the city, but after hearing about the monster attack, they'd decided to stay inside. Through Claire, the Mateo Company had arranged for them to disperse their wagons into stables belonging to other merchant groups.
Our inn was also courtesy of the Mateo Company. They'd assigned us a room for six people.
I'd promised to pick up Karupana that night.
The rest of our party headed to the guild to gather intel on the grasshopper monsters.
On the way, as we hit the main street, we spotted a crowd. Drawing closer, we saw it was the corpse of a massive pink grasshopper. Even lying on its side, its height matched mine. You could tell it was dead from the stakes hammered into the ground to pin it down and the stench of bodily fluids leaking out. Rotting smell, probably. The stakes were more than twice my height—impossible to imagine who'd driven them in or how. Some workers were trying to pull them out.
I locked eyes with Ira. Her face was perfectly composed. I was tempted to give her a playful shove from behind as a prank, but messing with her seemed risky, so I left her be.
"A Big Hopper, huh," Myra said.
Was she just slapping "Big" on everything to make it sound like a monster?
"It hasn't vanished even in death. Strictly speaking, this thing isn't a monster."
Myra nodded. Ira might not be freaking out, but the terror of an insect this size was real enough. Was the oxygen level higher in this world than back home?
"Green Big Hoppers act alone, but when they turn brown, they form swarms of hundreds. They get more aggressive and physically stronger too. They're not much of a threat in enclosed dungeon spaces with walls, but out in the field? They're the worst. They always move in massive groups, and any town in their path gets wiped out."
"Hundreds... And this pink one's the sexy type, I guess."
Were there really fans of sexy grasshoppers?
"Pink ones act as commanders. The brown swarms move in sync with the pink individual's position. A Big Hopper swarm will be hitting this city soon enough."
I glanced at the sky. Clear blue stretched overhead, with clouds drifting lazily eastward. No sign of monsters approaching under that peaceful sky.
"Even if it's dead?"
"Monsters are controlled by pheromones from the pink ones. And they can detect them from quite a distance. One adventurer took down a pink one on a quest, but got splashed with its fluids in the fight. When he returned, the whole town got swarmed by Big Hoppers."
Myra finished her explanation.
"If they hit at night, it'd be a nightmare."
"Big Hoppers are diurnal. I don't think that's a worry."
I nodded at Myra's response. But I couldn't help glancing at Ira. A swarm of grasshoppers this size might straight-up shock her to death.
"It's a monster, so it'll be fine. Just kill 'em."
Did she read my mind? Ira spoke up.
"Easier said than done. What if hundreds of these things come flying in?"
"It'll be okay. This size is just the pink ones—the rest are about half that."
Myra said. Half was still plenty big.
"...You sisters say it'll be fine, but I ain't buying it. Who the hell did this anyway?"
"Who d'ya reckon it was, eh? Folks heard a huge racket last night. And this mornin', boom—there it was."
Momoka had shown up out of nowhere, with a boy who looked like her brother. He was just a tad taller.
"No one saw anything?"
"Doesn't look like it."
"..."
This had to be the work of someone with a Special Skill.
"Ya think it was us, huh?"
"Yeah, I did. Wasn't you?"
"Nah. We figured it was you lot. Timin' was too perfect for ya showin' up. But we overheard yer chat just now—guess not."
Straight to the point. Nice.
"So, how 'bout it? Wanna go on a lil' date with me?"
"Just us two?"
I eyed the guy. Slim build, kinda feminine. No wonder Mizuki might mistake him for a girl.
"This here's my lil' bro Chihiro. He's too cute to let wander alone. Ya can bring one o' yers too. Double date style."
Siblings, huh. Myra shot me a sparkling look. No way. She'd never pick her. I was about to call Fam when Momoka cut in.
"Yer whole party's full o' beauties. How 'bout lettin' Chihiro pick?"
"...Fine, whatever. But no holding hands."
Not thrilled, but it sounded fun, so why not.
"Stingy... Eh, whatever. Pick who ya like!"
"Sis..."
Momoka urged the hesitant Chihiro. He scanned us all, hesitated on Cecily, then pointed at Fam. Called it. Flat-chest guy.
"Fam, come with. Mizuki, handle intel at the guild. Link up with Aver if you can. I wanna know what she thinks."
"Got it."
Mizuki nodded. Myra slumped beside her.
"Myra, check on the church here."
"Mash is so mean..."
Myra replied.
"Alrighty, let's go!"
Momoka latched onto my arm.
We were climbing a side bastion tower between sections of the wall. Stone-built and sturdy-looking, but with gaps and some warping from age.
This was the western edge of the city. I'd figured it'd be swarming with guards prepping for Big Hoppers, but it was empty—no soldiers, and we waltzed right in.
The wind blowing in from outside the city brushed my cheeks.
The four of us gazed out over the world beyond the walls.
To the north stretched the flower fields we'd seen on approach, dotted with herds of cattle. The sun was dipping, but no sign of them heading to barns. They wouldn't run off?
Farther north, the dense forest sea we'd come from. Rishel was out of sight from here, of course.
Southward, wheat fields rolled out. Peaceful scene.
Come to think of it, that's where I'd met Emma—on a bell tower.
"Wind always from the west?"
"This time o' year, yeah. Sometimes shifts east."
Momoka answered. Eerily quiet, though.
"Surprised, eh? No soldiers here. We just ain't got the numbers."
Some city east was in full war mode. Ripple effect, maybe.
"Civilians don't fight in times like this?"
"They prep on their own. But no weapons."
Momoka continued. She wasn't hiding her transferee status.
"We got summoned here a year ago. We venture out sometimes, but this town's home. Gotta protect it."
I wanted to grab the caravan and bail right now.
"Heard Big Hopper swarms hit in the hundreds?"
"That's the word... Don't even know where the pink one came from. Or the direction the swarm's comin' from. But not north."
So their scouting today was a bust. But they fly. Fast, long-range. The pink might've been smuggled in somehow—walking half a day's distance wouldn't cover it.
"Guard count?"
"Two hundred. With adventurers, maybe three. Rest are volunteers."
Monsters might outnumber us.
Recalled the Red Brigade that hit Fam's village had five hundred. Smaller than expected. But without enemy numbers, who knew if it was enough.
"What about Storage?"
"Storage?"
"Yeah, keep 'em from getting close. If we deal with the fluids somehow, stuff the corpse in Storage and hide it—maybe the Hoppers won't come."
Whoever brought the pink Big Hopper probably had adventurer Storage, or allies who did. Only the owner or shared users can access it. Unsure if anyone's Storage could handle that bulk, but it'd make more sense they killed it elsewhere and hauled the corpse somehow.
Then I remembered Special Skill users could summon monsters. But this was an insect, technically. Not their style. Where were those girls now?
"Master, the city's reeking of Big Hopper fluids."
"They spread 'em around?"
Fam nodded. Why? grudge against the city? Attack on transferees like Momoka's crew? Or a trap assuming we'd pass through.
"Then screw it—chop it up. Can we haul that corpse outside? Not far—just west, to a spot we control. Lure the main force there and smash 'em. Then mop up any stragglers in the city."
Flying enemies—we couldn't block city access entirely. And we didn't have numbers to cover everywhere.
"Why west?"
"Thinkin' like the perp. They planned major damage. They'd wanna be clear before the swarm hits—head to a safe zone."
"Makes sense," Momoka nodded.
"I figure the swarm's west. Winds usually from there—seasonal, probably. West stays upwind, no smell. Perp bails during that. You said winds shift east sometimes. Then the scent carries west. Place the corpse there, might halt 'em short of the city."
Took a breath.
"Recap my theory: Killer isolates and offs just the pink one, hauls the corpse without drawing the swarm, pins it in the city so it can't move, spreads fluids everywhere to guarantee attack. Times it with wind shift to escape. Not your average Joe. They could wreck the city solo. And why leave the corpse visible instead of just fluids?"
"Wanted attention? Culprit might still be in town."
"Using it as bait for some side scheme?"
Momoka nodded.
"...I'll talk to the guild," Chihiro said.
"Assumes they can predict the east wind for sure. On the fluids' stink—can we get beastkin help?"
Chihiro headed down. Hope they'd already thought of that.