352 – Seaside Birds of Ill Omen

After eating my fill of basilisk roast chicken, I rest, then the next day resume the exploration. Together with Aro, the nightmare, and the treant, we descend from the nest on the tree and walk through the forest.

Today’s objective is finding more of the admirab mandragora that ranks even above piperis is my mind… In addition to as raising Aro and the others’ levels. Their levels are low at the moment since they just evolved. With my support, they should be able to quickly get through their first third or so. Once that’s done… We’ll finally be able to enter the huge adam-filled ruins under the tree.

I’m not able to find any suitable monsters, but I look around restlessly, wondering if any mandragoras are buried nearby. Eventually, I leave the forest and arrive at a beach. I stretch my neck out and look over the water’s surface. The ocean waters look pretty, but the edge of the world is visible in the distance.

…It’s a bit anxiety-inducing, but it’s not a bad view. Though it looks like the forest has more monsters in the forest than here. Just as I’m thinking we should go back, I spot three of the human-headed birds, the sirens, crowded around something on the beach. The sirens’ heads… The eyes of their finely chiselled female faces goggle at me. Their long hair drapes on the ground. Blood drips from their lips. As always, their appearance induces a visceral feeling of revulsion.

Th-they’re dangerous. Their appearance is one thing, but each of them, even though their bodies are so small, are B ranks… We need to turn back as soon as possible… Is what I think, but then I spot a flash of something skin-coloured in their midst.

God’s Voice’s explanation of the siren species races through my mind.

【[Siren]: B rank monster】

【A monster with the head of a human woman and the body of a bird.】
【The [Siren’s] song causes other creatures to relax, luring them to their death.】
It often lives in seas near coasts, and has a preference for human flesh.】
【It mesmerises sailors with its song and curses them to death, then picks at their corpses.】
【If you find a mountain of human bones on a beach, then you have found a [Siren] hunting ground.】

――Sirens have a preference for human flesh. I suddenly realise. What they’re gathered around and dragging into the ocean to drown are humans. The humans are limp and unresisting. Without time to question why humans would be here, I quickly fire off a [Wind Slash] towards the sirens.

However it would be bad if the humans were hit, so I aim at a spot a short distance away. It would be great if this would startle them and make them fly away, but… I can’t imagine it’d be that easy. All three of the sirens’ faces simultaneously contort into hideous rage.

“GUOOOOOOH!”

Come at me, monsters! I’ll take you all on together! I howl to draw their attention.

『H-hey, partner…』

My partner looks at me with an expression of worry and complaint.

I understand. I know what you want to say. But, all the same, I can’t overlook this. Even after all this time, my nature is still that of a human.

Besides… Even if you think about it calmly, it’s not a bad prospect. Humans being here is significant. I want to find out why they’re here. Perhaps an unexpected truth will be revealed.

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『No, but…』

Right, the sirens are dangerous. They’re that small, yet they’re B rank… To make matters worse, there’s three of them. But even so, they’re only B rank. If they take just one serious attack from me, they should become unable to move. Plus, if Aro and the others help, they’re levels should shoot up. If anything, they might be perfect opponents. If we hunted one by one, their levels wouldn’t rise as much.

Their attacks might be dangerous for Aro and the others, but Aro is immune to status conditions, and with my magic stat so high, I can ward off extreme status conditions. I’ll operate as a shield against close-combat attacks.

“Aahahahahahaaa!”
“Aha, ahahahahaah!”
“Hiha, ahahahahahahahahah!”

Flying low, the sirens split up to surround me from three sides and then charge forward. They’re a bit shrill, but their voices are close to that of humans.

Come at me! In the end you’re just B rank monsters… Show me how you plan to fight me, an A rank! The wall of a difference difference is thick! I’ll show you the meaning of A rank!

『Hey, look there.』

What is it, all this time? I look in the direction my partner indicates with her chin. When the sirens took off, the humans that were gathered together collapsed.

They’re covered in blood… And there’s nothing from the neck up. As I thought, I was too late… As I think that, I notice there’s no blood present around the neck.

“Huh…? Ah…!

Pushed by the waves, a humanoid body rolls around. In its chest is a dandy face. It’s probably dead, and yet it has the exact same expression it had in life. It’s completely an adam.

Y-you! Show the pride of an A rank! Yesterday I saw another one of you turned to stone by the basilisk. And now today you’re siren food!? What, are you lot not actually that strong!?

I-I shouldn’t have tried to help! I should have just left! For that matter, they’re meant to like the taste of humans, right? Don’t substitute it for a monster that looks similar!

Treant-san is too heavy to run away with now. I’m reluctant, but I have no choice but to fight them. While they’re chasing me, I can’t exactly go exposing my back.

Damn it! I thought it was a human and got hasty! I glance at my partner, and she expressionlessly opens her mouth and bares her teeth at me. S-sorry… Really, sorry.

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