Chapter 114: Seven Wonders of the Academy (part four)
The next day.
I was attacked by intense drowsiness because of the search that lasted until midnight.
The last lesson for today is Actorius-sensei’s Magizoology.
I can go to sleep when I get over this.
For me who is struggling to keep my heavy eyelids open, that is my only morale support.
On the palm of Actorius-sensei, who was standing on the platform, something like a mushroom was riding.
Even this is a kind of splendid magical beast, it seems the name of the magical creature is fungal walker1.
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“Fungal walker is a magical creature that is considered to be a variant of fungi. There are various subspecies of fungal walker, but all of them walk upright with two pseudo-feet. They are very useful creatures—”
While listening to the teacher’s lecture, I looked into the tissue box-sized wooden box in front of me.
A thumb-sized fungal walker is standing inside with a trembling body.
Mine has a form like an eryngii mushroom2.
Marquia’s looks like a white beech mushroom3 and Tricia’s looks like a fly agaric mushroom4.
Although they look like mushrooms, they have pseudo-feet and incidentally, their faces were drawn.
Yes, instead of having a face, it was drawn.
It’s a cute but surreal atmosphere.
“I have marked the direction of movement on your mushrooms beforehand. Please be careful if it starts moving suddenly.”
So the side where the face is drawn is the front, huh.
Actorius-sensei must have had a good deal of fun doing it.
Actorius-sensei continued to explain the ecology of the fungal walker.
It is said that fungal walker’s direction of movement is fixed.
When it is frightened, it will scream while releasing paralytic spores and run away.
If it is wounded, it will stop on the spot and shriek while releasing hallucinogenic spores.
Those spores also have the effect of inhibiting blood-clotting action and relieving pain.
“Be careful, if you make a mistake in dealing with fungal walker inside a narrow labyrinth, it will likely be the beginning of a tragedy.”
It paralyzes you the moment you bump into it and if you attack it, it will show hallucinations to cause friendly fire, huh.
In addition, its spores make one unable to feel pain, so they will notice their wounds too late, and it is also difficult to stop bleeding, so they may bleed a lot.
It’s a vicious strategy unlike its cute outward appearance.
“It is dangerous if you make a mistake in handling them, but as a magical creature it is relatively docile and suitable for breeding. Furthermore, the ingredients that can be obtained from fungal walker have various usage.”
It seems that the spores of the fungal walker can be used to make drugs such as painkillers and anesthetics.
The body of the fungal walker is supposedly an antidote for paralysis and hallucinations.
In additions, it is the favorite food of many animals.
By the way, it’s delicious if you eat it by roasting it in direct fire. It is recommended to eat it with white mould goat cheese.
If it becomes a one-year old individual, it will be about 110 cm in length and about 16 kg in weight.
An individual who has grown for more than a decade can span over 10 meters in length and its cry is enough to break one’s tympanic membranes.
It is said to be parasitic on things like slime etc.
“On All Souls’ Day, the fungal walkers will be covered with white sheets and be disguised as ghosts.”
During the festival of All Souls’ Day held at the academy, it seems that dozens of two-or-three-year-old fungal walkers would be released into the city.
The fungal walkers that would wander aimlessly just like ghosts would be lined up alongside the pumpkin lanterns like a seasonal feature.
As the ones at the festival would be individuals that are used to people, it seems that they would not release dangerous spores even if they are surprised or hit a little.
Because of the fungal walker’s trait of being stabile when it is in a dark place, it seems that it is almost safe if covered with sheets.
“Now then, you will threaten your fungal walker and collect its paralytic spores.”
With Actorius-sensei’s cue, the students started the practice.
I also looked into my box.
The fungal walker was looking up at me with a cute gesture.
『……』
“……”
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I felt like my eyes met the fungal walker’s eyes which were not supposed to exist.
Aah, it’s delicious to eat it when it’s roasted, huh. On top of that, with white mould goat cheese……
『K-kyaaaah~~~』
The fungal walker fled to the corner of the box with a cute voice like a child’s cry.
I haven’t done anything yet, so why……?
Ah, perhaps, my big appetite was seen through?
The fungal walker shuddered and released spores as it became frightened at one corner of the box.
Somehow I feel sorry for scaring it.
This fungal walker is pretty timid.
Making sure not to inhale, I collected the white powder-like spores with a brush and put them in a bag.
Well, since the result is good, it’s fine.
“As expected of you, Erica-sama, what a wonderful performance.”
“Thank you, Marquia-san.”
I received a compliment from Marquia, who is good at handling magical creatures, so I replied to her with a smile.
It seems that she had finished collecting the paralytic spores in no time.
When it comes to magical beasts, her expression is very bright, as expected from the southern people.
Speaking of which, I wonder if Tricia is fine.
When I turned my eyes towards her, she was stiff and trembling minutely with hollow eyes.
This seems dangerous.
Her body is getting cold and her breathing is also shallow.
“What’s the matter, Tricia-san!? Don’t tell me, is it the paralytic spores!?”
“Oh no! Actorius-sensei, we need an antidote here!”
Marquia quickly covered Tricia’s box and stopped the spores from spreading further.
Actorius-sensei, who noticed the situation, immediately sprayed the potion on Tricia.
“She will recover after a while.”
“Sensei! We also need an antidote here!”
“Yes, yes, I’m coming. Both of you, please look after Rails-san, alright?”
Just as I felt relieved, screams from the other students could be heard.
Actorius-sensei entrusted Tricia to us and ran to the other students who were paralyzed.
Somehow, I feel the most Spartan education is this class.
Maybe, he purposefully let the students experience the danger of magical beasts first hand?
“T-thank you very much, Erica-sama, Marquia-san……”
Tricia seems to be able to move at last.
Her cheeks are reddish.
“Are you alright now, Tricia-san?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I didn’t know it would run around like that, even though it was small……”
“Certainly, it is true that Erica-sama’s individual seems to be a more manageable child.”
I passed on my fungal walker, which was a relatively calm individual and helped collect Tricia’s spores.
It was a very thrilling, eye-opening class.
I was able to attend the class without feeling sleepy, even with my lack of sleep.
“No, Cloacina-san. Please put the fungal walker back into the wooden box.”
Once again, Chloe, who was trying to bring back the fungal walker, was being warned.
She had a regretful expression on her face.
I also wanted to eat it a little bit, so I understand her feeling.
“Everyone, please return it to the box properly. Now then, next time we will learn about cockatrice’s chick. Even though it is just a chick, it is still a dangerous magical beast, so I suggest you prepare yourselves as much as possible.”
The white worm and the fungal walker, when compared to the dangerous cockatrice, seems very normal.
I’m sure some of the students in the class will be petrified.
While thinking about such things, I returned the fungal walker.
“See you tomorrow, Tricia-san, Marquia-san.”
I parted with Tricia and Marquia and went to the alchemy workshop.
I want to ask Harold to investigate the core of the mist golem.
☆
“Harold, sorry for always troubling you, but I’d like to ask you to analyze this golem.”
“Heh? What is it?”
I asked Harold earnestly as I opened the door to his workshop.
Harold, who seemed to be building the athanor inside a big golem, had a bewildered expression on his face.
Oh, I wonder if he’s busy with something.
“By any chance, are you in the middle of something urgent……?”
“No, it’s alright, what do you want to talk about?”
Having said that, Harold suspended his work and tidied things up.
He re-tied his long red hair which was tied up for work.
“Well, you should sit down too. If you have something you want to talk about, I will listen to you carefully.”
“Sorry. It’s a long story—”
I went straight to the point and told Harold about this matter.
About investigating the Seven Wonders under certain circumstances.
About how I was caught by Klaus and Auguste and had to allow them to accompany me.
About how thanks to that I could understand the cause, and other things.
“Haah~ so there was such a thing. Furthermore, the rumored guy is in this workshop, huh.”
“It was actually a golem. People thought it was a ghost because it absorbed the water around it and created a misty body……”
“A mist golem you say!?”
Harold, who had an impression of restraining himself because of the ghost story, became excited when he heard about the golem.
Alright, if he’s like this, it will be fine if I entrust it to him.
I explained the behavior of the mist golem that I had found out, and then passed the core and the reference book to him.
“Ah~ I see……this is an unusual language to implement.”
“You know about it?”
“It’s difficult, so this may take a bit longer. But, it looks pretty interesting and since you’ve come all the way here, I’ll take it on.”
Harold prepared tea at the end of his speech.
I took the tea gratefully.
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“But, what a shame……you solved the mystery that has been left for many years in just one night, right?
“It was thanks to the lens you made.”
“Ah~ that thing! It’s already showing its usefulness, huh.”
“Yeah. But because of that, it has already been used up.”
Harold took the jar with the light-purple lens courteously.
As I described the activity of the Eyes of Overworld, Harold was listening and taking notes with great interest.
“Well then, I guess this one will be done in about three days. I want to improve it a little bit once more.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“……Oops, speaking of which, I’m done charging the Wand of Gust from last time.”
Just as Harold brought a box of wand from the shelf, the sound of knocking on the door echoed throughout the room.
“Oh my, you’re a very popular person with lots of customers, huh, Harold.”
“No, no, this might not be my customers though……”
Harold responded with a bright voice saying, “Please come in!”
When the door opened, it was Klaus and Auguste who appeared.
I smiled and shrugged my shoulders when Harold had a troubled expression as if saying ‘good grief’.
“As expected, you’re here~”
“Sorry, Harold. We’ll intrude upon you for a little bit.”
“My business is over, so don’t worry about it. I’ll also prepare tea for the two of you.”
With the greetings done, Harold stood up to make extra tea.
Oh, apparently they are not here for Harold, they are here for me.
It is probably because of our long relationship and their tracking ability that I was discovered immediately.
Klaus and Auguste sat on the couch on my left and right side as if trapping me.
This is uncomfortable. I want to run away.
Auguste took the box of Wand of Gust that was left on the table.
“Hmm, this is the preparation for tonight’s quest, huh.”
“Erica, I heard that you’re the type that has to sleep for six hours, are you okay?”
“Why do you know my proper sleeping time……”
Klaus and Auguste looked at each other and shrugged.
Is it the information from my brother?
“Klaus-sama, did you come here to warn me?”
“Late-night stroll is strictly prohibited unless with the supervision of the Dynameis.”
“I was also accepted as a member of the Dynameis though.”
“On the contrary, it seems that to this day you haven’t taken part in any of the Dynameis’ job yet.”
He hit my weak spot.
But I don’t want to stand on the steps of the church and read scriptures in front of everyone.
I can’t say my real feeling about that, so I wonder what I should say.
“Well, to tell the truth, Klaus and I came to tell you that we will overlook this matter.”
“But on the condition that we accompany you as guards.”
It seems both of them are passionate about exploring the Seven Wonders.
Isn’t it culturally inappropriate for a woman to go out with two men in the middle of the night?
If by any chance someone sees us, I’m afraid it will become a deadly scandal.
However, I have experienced it first-hand that these two’s abilities are useful for investigating.
Saving money and time is very tempting, so it cannot be helped.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
“I will not take responsibility if your sleeping time is cut short as a result.”
“I will be fine since many of my time block is empty. I often sleep with the dragons in the large stable.”
“I have no problem even if my sleeping time is cut short.”
“Oh, it looks like the discussion has been settled.”
Harold returned with steamy tea cups at perfect timing.
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“Right, Harold. Do you want to come along?”
“Nope, I’m not good with ghost stories or scary things……”
“I see. Then this is a good opportunity to overcome that.”
“Whoops, I forgot to bring the teacakes!”
Harold retreated in a hurry to escape once more.
Among us, his physique is the largest, but I see, he’s not good with scary stories, huh.
“Well then, let’s meet in front of the Phantom Beast Museum tonight.”
In the end, this time too, it will be just the three of us who will investigate the Seven Wonders.
We decided the meeting place and time and disbanded immediately.
1 Fungal walker: the raw doesn’t exactly say this, just monster mushroom. But I feel like this monster from dnd fits the description pretty well, as it can eject hallucination spores and pacifying spores (which stuns the enemy). So, fungal walker it is.
2 Eryngii or Pleurotus eryngii: an edible mushroom native to Mediterranean regions of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, but also grown in many parts of Asia. (source)
3 Bunashimeji or white beech mushroom or Hypsizygus tessellatus: an edible mushroom native to East Asia. It is cultivated locally in temperate climates in Europe, North America and Australia and sold fresh in super markets. In nature, shimeji are gilled mushrooms that grow on wood. Most often the mushroom is found on beech trees, hence the common name, Beech Mushroom. They are often small and thin in appearance and popular in many nations across the world. (source)
4 Fly agaric mushroom or Amanita muscaria: a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere. (source)
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