Chapter 61

Itai no wa Iya nanode Bōgyo-Ryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu

Defense specialization and quest 3

While flying,Maple saw the fountain below her.
This time, the woman didn’t say anything, so she came to the location straight fromthe top.

The fountain that she saw is surrounded by rocks and most of those rocks arestanding tall.

「For now, let’s go down near it」

After dropping off near it, she called Syrup back into the ring and head forthe fountain with the woman.

There seemed tobe no monsters around the fountain, so we arrived at the fountain without anytrouble. The woman looked back to Maple after she collects the fountain water.
「Kishi-sama(Knight)! Thank you very much!」
「No.., I am not doing anything praiseworthy…」
「Let’s hurry home!」
「A , un. That’sright.」
We go back to thespot where we got off from Syrup. Maple then summons Syrup and starts to flywith it.
They returnedsafely back to town and the woman gave her daughter the water.

Maple is just standing there watching them.

「How do you feel?」
「D- Don’t worry,I’m fine」

although the girl says so, hercomplexion is bad and her body is slightly trembling.

She didn’t seem to be OK.

Naturally, the next quest appears before Maple.

Quest【Benevolence knight (Hakuai no Kishi) 3】
「Un, Like Ithought」
The next questoccurs as Maple expected.

Maple tries to check the skill【Benevolence knight (Hakuai no Kishi)】,but the skill is still displayed only as aname. So, she decided to take the quest.

「Kishi-sama(Knight)! Thank you very much!」
「It’s alright,it’s alright」
「There is a hugetown far away from here and I’ve heard rumors that there are rings to heal yourbody just by putting it in … … I’m sorry for asking again, could you bringme there?」
「Huge … Town,maybe the first town?」
The first town when Maple startsthis game.

It was the only huge town in Maple’s mind.

「That means(ttekoto wa) … The ring is maybe that…」

Maple takes one ring out of herinventory.

A Rare drop that Maple got in the first stage.

The【Ring of the Forest Queen Bee】.

「Knight!( Kishi-sama!) You brought it! Oh, How can I show you mygratitude …」

「A … this is OK」

Maple thinks of giving away the ringwhich has not been equipped recently to the lady.

The Ring is a rare drop, she didn’t know when she can get it again.

Maple gives the lady the ring that she has.

「I give it to you …」

The Lady puts the ring on her daughter.

Then a questclear notification shows in front of Maple. That proves that the ring is thecorrect item.

「U,gu~… ga,」

「…are you fine? …is there any pain?」

「Gu~……!」

The girl had a distorted face becauseof the pain, then suddenly she jumped out of bed, opened the door roughly andran outside the house.

「Wa, wait!( Ma, matte!)」

The lady alsochase her.

A notice of new quest appears infront of the Maple who was left by the mother and daughter.

Quest【Benevolence Knight (Hakuai no kishi) 4】

Maplenaturally takes it.

「For the time being… Let’s chase after them」

「There! (Ita!)」

When she got out of town, Maple sawthe woman sitting down.

When Maple approaches, the woman starts talking.

「Ū~…Knight (kishi-sama)…! My daughter……」

「Where did she go? Isshe Safe?!」

「My daughter goes to the 【Temple of Everlasting (tokoyamino shinden)】 .. It isdangerous there!」

「…… I will takeher back!」

「I will guide you there…! This is to savemy daughter …」

Maple wanted to go alone but sinceshe can’t refuse the lady, Maple decided to take her.

Following the Lady guidance, she came further to the placein northwest, passing the fountain that they were at earlier.
There, was an old temple that lookslike it will collapse anytime.

There is no doubt that this is the【Temple of Everlasting (tokoyami no shinden)】.

Maple enters the temple afterreturning Syrup to the ring.

The daughter was at the very deep of this simple structure with only one hallsurrounded by walls and ceiling. The lady is about to run over there, but ajet-black fog blows out from the daughter’s body.

The fog attacked the lady while ithad a humanoid shape.

「【Cover Move】! 【Cover】!」

It was confirmed at the first questthat【Cover Move】and 【Cover】is can be used for the lady.

Maple suspends the fog attack with her shield when she moved between the two.

「……! 【Bizarre Eater(Akujiki)】ga~ …!

Maple had forgotten that 【Bizarre Eater(Akujiki)】 has notrecovered because quests have progressed so well.

The fog shapedhumanoid whose attack was prevented keeps his distance from Maple.

「【Poisonous Dragon (hydra)】I never think about using it…」

「Gugi…gagagaga」

「…… That is notgood, is it?」

Maple regarded the humanoid whoraises a creepy voice despite having no mouth as a monster.

「Gigigi……!」

「【Cover】!」

The jumping movement of the enemy ismonotonous, so she defend against it securely.

However, Maple has limited means of attack. Since she cannot defeat it rightaway, she carefully observes the timing of using her skills. Naturally, thebattle was prolonged.

Then when Maple was enduring for awhile, the humanoid suddenly began to cry scratching his head.

「Gugaaaaa…aa ~aa a! !」
As there were noparts on its face there was no facial expression, but it seemed to be sufferingfrom pain. The humanoid’s arm change shape to something like a spear.

「!! 【Cover】」

Although she quickly move to protectthe lady, she was only able to sparingly defend against it. The sharp attack onboth arms was apparently a defense penetration attack.

「Ku u……u!」
It was impossible to Parry botharm’s attacks with a big shield.

Maple ‘s HP is being scraped away, but Maple did not stop using 【Cover】.

It was obvious that the lady is in danger if she got hit by it.

「Gugaaaaa!Gaga… guga…」

「E……?」

The humanoid shape fog that attackedMaple suddenly stopped attacking and took distance from Maple.

「Gugi…gugu…」

the humanoid shape fog who stuck tothe ground with his head gradually blurred and eventually disappeared.

「I, I was saved …….?」

Maple ‘s HP bar has around 20%remaining. She was aiming for a counter – clock counter, but it would have beendangerous if the battle continued.

「Is that … The workof the【Demonic HolyWater】」

「Is that … from thefountain before?」

「Maybe my daughter is… being possessed bya Devil」

This happened because Maple was notattacked at 【BenevolenceKnight (Hakuai no kishi) 2】,  so she successfully cleared it.

If that woman orplayer can go back to town without dying, that quest will be successful. If youdie, the quest will fail.

In either case the quest will moveto the next stage.

However, it is difficult for players with large shield equipment to fightagainst the fog humanoid without clearing the Fountain Quest.

「A … Quest Clear…」

although I cleared the currentquest, no new quest occurred.

and, the Skill is still the same.

「Let’s go to mydaughter!」

「A,un. That right (Sōda ne)!」

Maple and the lady rush to the girl.

The girl was asleep as if he was dead. It does not respond at all even if shewas rocked to wake up.

「For the time being… let’s take her home」

The lady lifther daughter and left the temple.

At the same time a blue panelappears in front of Maple.

【Benevolence Knight (Hakuai nokishi) 5】comes up。

Again, 【Benevolence Knight (Hakuai no kishi) 】 Damage to mothers in Quests 1 to 4 is lower than the reference value.

Extra Quest 【Dedicated Charity(Misasagu jiai)】occurred.

Please choose either route.

「Nn?」

Maple tilt hisneck in an unexpected situation.